Equity & cap tables

YouTube

How to avoid being exploited as a technical founder or engineer

Y Combinator November 1, 2023

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Equity & cap tables 9

Identity & self-belief 7

Management 5

• Unequal equity splits rarely have a legitimate justification — push back.
• Being excluded from decisions while writing all the code is exploitation.
• Asking for a seat at the table often fixes the problem immediately.

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Equity & cap tables

Podcast

Bringing on a partner, trade shows, pricing, and equity: listener Q&A

Startups For the Rest of Us October 17, 2023

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Equity & cap tables 8

Pricing strategy 7

Product-market fit 6

• Low churn means stop building — a mature product is a luxury.
• Giving a partner 30% equity demands full-time work and a proven track record.
• Add value instead of discounting; discounts are the easy, lazy path.

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Equity & cap tables

YouTube

How to distribute startup equity fairly among founders

Rob Walling September 12, 2022

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Equity & cap tables 9

Unit economics 6

• Equal founder splits are the default — and usually wrong.
• The TOC framework turns time, salary, and cash into a fair split.
• Vesting protects the cap table if a founder walks early.

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Equity & cap tables

YouTube

How much equity to give early startup employees

Y Combinator January 25, 2021

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Equity & cap tables 9

Hiring & recruitment 5

• First employees typically get 1–2%; plan the full pool before distributing
• Equity is a tool to boost success odds, not a pie to divide
• No successful founder has ever regretted being generous with early equity

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Equity & cap tables

YouTube

How to split equity with cofounders to maximise long-term motivation

Y Combinator June 6, 2019

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Equity & cap tables 9

Hiring & recruitment 5

• Equity splits should maximise motivation, not reflect negotiation outcomes
• Four-year vesting with a one-year cliff makes generosity safe
• If a cofounder isn't worth a generous grant, rethink the relationship

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Equity & cap tables

YouTube

Understanding SAFEs, dilution, and cap tables for early-stage founders

Y Combinator October 17, 2018

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Equity & cap tables 9

Fundraising & VC 8

• Post-money SAFEs let you calculate exactly how much you've sold
• Stacked SAFEs plus option pool can cut founder ownership in half before Series A
• Over-optimising your valuation cap changes final ownership by barely 1%

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