The exact numbers vary, but the typical equity grants for founding engineers are in the range of 0.5% to 2%. You can get a sense for it if you scan YC's job board. Getting 1% is typical, and it comes with a one year cliff and a four year vest.
Equity allocation to co-founding team members should reflect a reward for the value they're expected to contribute. If the expected contributions are fairly equal, then the initial equity should be allocated relatively equally (for example, 51% and 49%).
Equity allocation to co-founding team members should reflect a reward for the value they're expected to contribute. If the expected contributions are fairly equal, then the initial equity should be allocated relatively equally (for example, 51% and 49%).
When your startup is in the initial stages, the founder or the co-founders usually own it entirely, typically in a 50/50 split, or 60/40, depending on various conditions. As you grow, equity is distributed among those who contributed to fund your startup, give you advise, or develop your product/service offerings.
How does owning equity in a startup work? On day one, founders own 100%. As the company grows, equity is often exchanged for funding or used to attract employees, leading to shared ownership. If you have more than one founder, you can choose how you want to share ownership: 50/50, 60/40, 40/40/20, etc.
In a startup with two co-founders, an equal equity split would mean that each co-founder owns 50% of the company's equity and e 50% of the voting rights. In a startup with over two co-founders, an equal equity split would mean that each co-founder owns a similar percentage of the company's equity.
Founder shares (also called founder stock) are a type of equity, usually common stock, issued to the founding members of a company immediately or soon after it's incorporated. These shares are typically granted before any outside investors come on board and establish the initial ownership of the company.
When your startup is in the initial stages, the founder or the co-founders usually own it entirely, typically in a 50/50 split, or 60/40, depending on various conditions. As you grow, equity is distributed among those who contributed to fund your startup, give you advise, or develop your product/service offerings.
Research from Harvard Business School professors also shows that investors are less likely to invest in startups with a flat split. Dividing equity equally may signal that the co-founders aren't willing negotiators or that they're not prepared to risk conflict or disagreement to resolve important issues.
Many believe that an equal split signifies fairness for all and the majority of founders begin with 50/50 equity splits.