Joining a startup: How to think about equity compensation — Cristina Cordova

I’ve joined four early-stage startups anywhere from first employee to 40th employee. Each time, I’ve learned more about equity compensation as my own personal goals, financial situation and expectations have changed. In having conversations with people looking to join an early-stage startup (Seed to Series B) and making decisions about their offers, I figured I’d share my thoughts on compensation and how you might think about it. First, it’s worth noting that you should spend far more time deciding whether you think the startup you’re joining will eventually grow to be 10X/20X/100X in revenue or valuation than it is today, rather than optimizing for compensation. When I joined Stripe at 28 employees, I was told there was no negotiation of my offer, but I felt the offer was fair and joined to see the company go from a $500M valuation to a current-day $50B valuation. Picking correctly is more important than optimizing for compensation, but you should understand what trade-offs you’re mak

I’ve joined four early-stage startups anywhere from first employee to 40th employee. Each time, I’ve learned more about equity compensation as my own personal goals, financial situation and expectations have changed. In having conversations with people looking to join an early-stage startup (Seed to Series B) and making decisions about their offers, I figured I’d share my thoughts on compensation and how you might think about it. First, it’s worth noting that you should spend far more time deciding whether you think the startup you’re joining will eventually grow to be 10X/20X/100X in revenue