Stop Building Sinking Ships

May 23,2017May 23, 2017
By In Articles, Bonus, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last week esteemed fellow Comp Café writer, Stephanie Thomas, Ph.D., wrote an article asking, “Should You Scrap Your Long-Term Incentive...

Entertaining Ways to Apply Executive Pay Rules

May 03,2017May 3, 2017
By In Articles, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , ,

Executive compensation is always in the spotlight. The pay levels for the highest paid executive can truly be astounding to...

Compounding Our Pay Problems

Apr 18,2017April 18, 2017
By In Articles, Base Pay / Salary, Bonus, Communication, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The pay ratios between CEOs and average employees are once again in the news. This is partly because proxy season...

Startup Equity: The Most Common Mistake (Part 7 of an n part series)

Jan 03,2017January 3, 2017
By In Articles, Bonus, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Start-up Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , ,

Here is my 2017 gift to you. I truly believe that equity compensation helped build the technology industry, and therefore...

Startup Equity: Isn’t It Refreshing? (maybe not) – (Part 6 of an n part series)

Dec 14,2016December 14, 2016
By In Articles, Compensation Philosophy, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Other Rewards, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Start-up Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , ,

The historically long periods between the startup and “big event” for companies has given rise to many issues that were...

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

Dec 06,2016December 6, 2016
By In Articles, Bonus, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Start-up Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , ,

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)

Nov 28,2016November 28, 2016
By In Articles, Bonus, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Start-up Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , ,

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)

Nov 17,2016November 17, 2016
By In Articles, Equity Compensation, ESPP, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Performance Units, Restricted Stock, RSU, SAR-Stock Appreciation Rights, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STI, Start-up Pay, Stock OptionsTags , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

OMG! You Were Right All Along!

Oct 06,2016October 6, 2016
By In Articles, Bonus, Communication, Executive Compensation, Long Term Incentives, Pay For Performance, Sales Compensation, Say on Pay, Short-Term Incentives - STITags , , , , , , , , , , ,

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