Browse Compensation by Funding Stage
Understand the trade-offs between cash, equity, and risk at different startup stages.
Seed Stage
$1M - $10M
Early product-market fit. High equity, lower cash. Higher risk, higher potential upside.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Seed Stage:
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Series A
$10M - $25M
Proven traction. Balanced comp. Building foundational team and scaling product.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Series A:
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Series B
$25M - $50M
Scaling revenue. Near-market salaries. Equity still meaningful.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Series B:
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Series C
$50M - $100M
Established product. Market-rate salaries. Equity compression begins.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Series C:
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Late Stage
$100M - $200M
Pre-IPO trajectory. Strong cash comp. Lower equity but lower risk.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Late Stage:
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Pre-IPO
$200M+
IPO within 1-2 years. Top-of-market salaries. RSUs instead of options.
Key Characteristics:
Top Roles at Pre-IPO:
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💡 Pro Tip: Total Compensation Math
When comparing offers across stages, use expected value for equity:
- Seed: 0.5% × $500M (10% prob) = $2.5M × 10% = $250K expected
- Series A: 0.3% × $1B (20% prob) = $3M × 20% = $600K expected
- Late: 0.05% × $5B (60% prob) = $2.5M × 60% = $1.5M expected
Later-stage offers often have higher expected value despite lower equity %, because probability of exit is much higher.
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