Startup Equity: In Conclusion (Part 14 of a 14 part series)

It feels odd to be wrapping up this series on Startup Equity. I started the series almost six-months ago, and...

Startup Equity: But Can’t I Pay Less Cash? (Part 12 in an n part series)

This series of articles has covered a lot of ground, but this particular article touches on a critical component that...

Startup Equity: Staying Private in a Public World (Part 11 in an n part series)

It is readily accepted that an IPO is Nirvana to a startup. Of course, a fantabulous acquisition will also work...

Startup Equity: What About Performance? (Part 10 of an n part series)

“But, how do I make sure that the person is a great performer before I am forced to give them...

Startup Equity: Three Crucial Variables (Part 9 of an n part series)

Startup equity has approximately a gazillion moving parts. But three of these variables are far more important than all of...

Startup Equity: No. They Don’t Get It. (Part 8 of an n part series)

During a recent presentation I did for industry professionals, an attendee claimed that his employees didn’t need additional education on...

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...

What are current (2016) best practices for employee stock option programs for US pre-IPO startups?

Question: (org. on Quora) Answer (by Dan Walter) Hi Alex.  Thanks for the A2a.  And thanks to Shriram Bhashyam for also...