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📊 6 real offers · worked verdicts
What does a fair startup offer actually look like?
Six anonymized startup job offers — pre-seed through Series C+ — each broken down with the equity verdict, the potential exit value, and exactly what to negotiate. See where your offer lands.
Every offer below is a composite of real grants at that stage. For each we estimate the equity's
potential value at a reasonable exit (today's 409A value grown ~25%/yr for 5 years, minus a 25% dilution haircut for future funding rounds) and compare it to salary. A ratio of
2×+ salary is above market,
0.5–2× is fair, under
0.5× is light for the stage. These are the same numbers our
AI Offer Verdict uses — tap any example to run it with the full AI negotiation playbook. Benchmarks grounded in our
stage-by-stage equity data.
The six offers
From risk-heavy pre-seed to cash-heavy late stage — arranged by stage.
Junior Engineer · Pre-seed
Below market
Strike / 409A
$0.05 / $0.15
A small early grant. At a reasonable exit the equity is worth under 3% of one year's salary — the options are a lottery ticket, not compensation. This is normal at pre-seed; the real reason to join is the role and the founder, not the equity.
Negotiate: Ask for 2–3× the shares (pre-seed has the most negotiating room), a salary closer to market, and a refresh grant after Series A so your stake survives dilution.
Run in AI Verdict →
Mid-level Engineer · Seed
Fair / on-market
Strike / 409A
$0.40 / $1.20
A market-typical seed grant. Equity is meaningful — about half a year's salary at a reasonable exit — but it's not the main event. The bet is that the company grows into Series A and beyond.
Negotiate: Push the grant up ~20% (comparable seed grants run higher), confirm a 4-year vest with 1-year cliff, and lock in a refresh at your first review.
Run in AI Verdict →
Senior Engineer · Series A
Above market
Strike / 409A
$1.00 / $5.00
A generous Series A grant — the kind you sign quickly. The equity could be worth nearly three years of salary at a reasonable exit, with a healthy strike-to-409A spread already in the money. This is the sweet spot: enough validation to de-risk, enough upside to matter.
Negotiate: Even a strong offer has room — ask for a refresh grant after year one and confirm the exercise window (90 days vs. 7–10 years) on departure, which is the clause that quietly costs employees the most.
Run in AI Verdict →
Staff Engineer · Series B
Fair / on-market
Strike / 409A
$2.50 / $6.00
A solid mid-stage grant. Higher cash, smaller ownership, lower risk — roughly one year of salary in potential equity. At Series B the company is proven, so the odds of a real exit are higher but the multiple is lower.
Negotiate: Cash is heavier here — negotiate base and sign-on. On equity, ask whether the grant is ISO or NSO (tax treatment differs sharply) and request a refresh tied to the Series C.
Run in AI Verdict →
Senior Engineer · Series C+
Below market equity
Strike / 409A
$8.00 / $10.00
A late-stage, cash-heavy offer. The equity is a nice bonus (about a third of a year's salary) but the salary is the comp. This is the right trade at Series C+ — optimize for guaranteed cash unless you expect a near-term IPO pop.
Negotiate: Push base salary and bonus hard — that's where the real money is. If the strike ($8) is close to the 409A ($10), the spread is thin; ask about RSUs instead, which late-stage companies often offer.
Run in AI Verdict →
VP Engineering (Exec) · Series A
Above market
Strike / 409A
$1.00 / $5.00
An executive grant — large ownership (0.5%) and a potential exit value over five years of salary. Executives negotiate as a package; the equity here is the real compensation and should be protected from dilution with refresh grants each round.
Negotiate: Negotiate acceleration on change-of-control (single/double-trigger), a board-level refresh commitment, and severance. Exec grants have the most hidden terms — have counsel review.
Run in AI Verdict →
How to use these to judge your own offer
- Find your stage and level above. That example is your closest benchmark — compare your salary, shares, and strike.
- Don't compare the percentage alone. 0.1% means very different things at pre-seed vs. Series C. Compare the potential exit value relative to salary instead.
- Run your exact numbers. Tap an example's "Run in AI Verdict" to land on the tool pre-filled — then swap in your real salary, shares, strike, and 409A for a personalized verdict and copy-paste counter-offer.
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Frequently asked
What does a typical startup equity offer look like?
A typical startup offer pairs a below-market base salary with options whose value depends on stage. A Series A senior engineer grant is often 0.05–0.25% of the company; pre-seed grants are larger in ownership but riskier; later-stage grants are smaller but lower-risk. The number that matters is the equity's potential value relative to your salary — the examples above are concrete benchmarks.
How much equity should a senior engineer get at a Series A startup?
A Series A senior engineer commonly receives roughly 0.05–0.25% ownership, often 30,000–60,000 options depending on share count and valuation. A grant whose reasonable-exit value reaches 1× or more of annual salary is strong; 0.5–1× is typical. The Series A example above shows a worked number.
Is a 0.1% equity offer good?
It depends on stage and share economics, not the percentage. 0.1% is meaningful at pre-seed or seed, typical at Series A, and generous at Series B+. What matters is the dollar value that 0.1% could reach at a reasonable exit relative to your salary — run your exact numbers through the AI verdict.
Are these examples real?
Each is a composite built from real grants at that stage and role, anonymized. The verdicts use the same transparent model as our AI Offer Verdict: 409A value grown ~25%/yr for 5 years with a 25% dilution haircut, compared to salary. Educational estimates, not financial advice.