For an Internet startup that secures, say $15m, in Series A funding, how much would the founders typically be drawing as salary?

For an Internet startup that secures, say $15m, in Series A funding, how much would the founders typically be drawing as salary?

by | May 22, 2018 | Career Growth & Advice, Compensation, Early, Leadership, Q&A | 0 comments

In the Bay Area, $1X0,000. Once you raise $5m+ itā€™s time to pay the founders the low or middle end of ā€œnormalā€. Founders may have different views of which end of normal. The high end of normal may be OK, but it will create a quiet concern among your investors....
Our startup is about to close a $25M+ funding C round. As an early employee, when and how do I go about asking for my salary to be right-sized?

Our startup is about to close a $25M+ funding C round. As an early employee, when and how do I go about asking for my salary to be right-sized?

by | Jan 31, 2018 | Compensation, Early, Fundraising, Leadership, Q&A | 0 comments

Two thoughts: First, itā€™s time. If you took a salary cut to join a start-up, and theyā€™ve raised even $10m+, let alone $25m, itā€™s time for that salary cut to end. Startups that have raised eight figures need to pay market salaries, more or less. But second ā€¦ Maybe wait...
Should the CEO and COO of a startup company be paid the same salary if they share day to day management? They are co-owners 70/30 CEO/COO and the company is growing profitably.

Should the CEO and COO of a startup company be paid the same salary if they share day to day management? They are co-owners 70/30 CEO/COO and the company is growing profitably.

by | Jan 18, 2018 | Company Culture, Compensation, Early, Fundraising, Leadership, Q&A | 0 comments

My one life lesson here: As CEO, you may not care that much about salaries. Because you are focused on making your equity worth 100x your salary. So you can forget — people are extremely sensitive to even small variances in salaries. At a start-up, your cash...
How many options should I give to the first non-founder employees of they are making below market but non-zero salaries?

How many options should I give to the first non-founder employees of they are making below market but non-zero salaries?

by | Jan 12, 2018 | Compensation, Early, Hiring, Leadership, Q&A | 0 comments

Hereā€™s the tough part. Itā€™s really hard. What you should do is give them say 3x their forgone salary in stock — 3x to account for risk. So letā€™s say you hire a seasoned engineer in the Bay Area and her salary ā€˜shouldā€™ be $120k, but she works for you for $60k...
Is this a fair equity package? 1% of company now with 9% vested over 4 years. If I leave or get fired at any time before exit, I leave with 1%.

Is this a fair equity package? 1% of company now with 9% vested over 4 years. If I leave or get fired at any time before exit, I leave with 1%.

by | Dec 3, 2017 | Compensation, Early, Hiring, Leadership, Q&A | 0 comments

I really like most of this structure ā€” for a ā€œlateā€ cofounder. Being a true co-founder is a long term commitment. And it involved more buy-in, more ownership, than a pure VP. This equity package is consistent with that. You are getting: 1% now. This is basically a...

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