Startup Equity: Synthetic Equity or Sharing Without Sharing (Part 5 of an n part series)

When you hear “equity compensation” and startups, you immediately think of stock options. More recently RSUs (restricted stock units that...

Startup Equity: Comparing Your “Currency” to a Competitor’s (Part 4 of an n part series)

Comparing base bay is relatively easy, equity not so much. A dollar is a dollar. And, if a dollar isn’t...

Startup Equity: Why are VCs Getting so Stingy with Equity? (Part 3 of an n part series)

Does this familiar? You had a great idea and turned it into a company. Somehow you got to the point...

Startup Equity: 409A vs Investor Value (part 2 of an n part series)

We have all seen the headlines, “XYZ receives $100M in funding at a $3B valuation.” We seldom see the “other”...

%-#-$ – Startup Equity: It’s Enough to Make You Swear!

Figuring out the right amount of equity compensation at startups is a challenge. How much should I grant? How big...

Broadway Acts on Sharing Success

You build it. You buy it. This may become the new mantra on Broadway. The original cast of Hamilton was...

OMG! You Were Right All Along!

Remember that time you spent weeks modeling a new incentive plan only to have it shot down? They explained that...

The Real Cost of Mismanaged Incentives: Wells Fargo

Well, so much for the warm-hearted caffeinated, pick-me-up from the Comp Café. Today is a steaming jolt of quadruple espresso...

Applying Pixar’s “22 Rules of Storytelling” to Pay

What do ‘Up’, ‘Cars’, ‘Inside Out’, ‘Monsters, Inc’, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Toy Story 3’, ‘The Incredibles’, ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Toy Story’ and ‘WALL-E’...