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Equity & cap tables

Equity and cap tables explained: co-founder splits, founder vesting with cliffs and leaver clauses, option pools and how dilution changes ownership.

05articles

  1. Startup Advisor Equity: How Much to Give and How

    How much equity to give a startup advisor: typical ranges by stage and involvement, vesting terms, which instrument to use and a worked example with numbers.

    Equity & cap tables9 min

  2. Cap Table Explained: How to Read and Model Ownership

    A cap table shows who owns what in your startup. Learn how to read one, how rounds and option pools change it, and how to model dilution step by step.

    Equity & cap tables9 min

  3. Co-Founder Equity Split: A Fair Framework That Works

    How to split equity between co-founders: equal vs unequal splits, a weighted scoring method with a worked example, and why vesting matters more than the number.

    Equity & cap tables9 min

  4. Employee Option Pool Explained: Size, Timing, Dilution

    What an employee option pool is, how to size it from your hiring plan, why a pre-money pool lowers your effective valuation, and how to negotiate it.

    Equity & cap tables8 min

  5. Founder Vesting Schedule: Cliffs, Leavers, Acceleration

    How a founder vesting schedule works: the 4-year schedule with a 1-year cliff, a month-by-month example, good and bad leaver terms and acceleration on exit.

    Equity & cap tables8 min