Working for Equity Is a Free Plan You Can't Upgrade
You set your price at zero for six months, and now you need money. Why equity renegotiations run downhill, and what has to be in the deal on day one.
• 15 min read
Don't Take a Share in a Business That Doesn't Exist Yet
The rule underneath everything I've written about equity, stated once and plainly. When to pay cash, when shares are legitimate, and what to do before then.
• 11 min read
You've Been Offered Equity to Build Something
The mirror of the hiring post, written for builders. How to evaluate a founder, price the work, and tell a real opportunity from a lottery ticket.
• 13 min read
Take the Bait, Eat the Poison
Every business gets offered shortcuts. The offer is the bait and the shortcut is the poison. How to decide what you will not do before anybody asks.
• 19 min read
The Spec Work Trap
Why asking capable people to work for free doesn't work, what it signals about the person asking, and how to respond professionally.
• 9 min read
The Equity Tell
If startup equity is so valuable, why does it only flow one direction? The answer reveals everything about what that equity is actually worth.
• 8 min read
The Job Posting That Doesn't Exist
That CTO role you're applying for might not be a real job. Here's how to recognize deal flow harvesting disguised as employment.
• 8 min read
The Real Cost of the Technical Cofounder Search
The cofounder search costs more than time: it costs optionality and equity. Here's what matchmaking events don't tell you.
• 11 min read