
Ask HN: Should I stay? First employee equity/pay question - equitythrowaway
I was the first employee at a startup 1 year ago. I&#x27;m thinking about leaving now because I don&#x27;t feel like I have enough equity to care.<p>When I started, I was making a competitive salary with other tech companies in Los Angeles (150k), but was awarded what felt like a very small equity stake. As the first full-time employee, I was awarded 0.5% option grant.<p>The company started with a 3M seed round out of an accelerator. We just raised a 8M Series A round.<p>Since starting, I&#x27;ve always felt the equity stake was too low and considered leaving many times. I was offered a job at Facebook, which I decided not to take. I also came across a number of other Series A stage companies that I strongly considered, but decided not to pursue.<p>Is there any way now to request more equity, without taking a pay cut? Or is it too late?<p>I definitely can&#x27;t imagine staying at the company, knowing that there are other employees starting now with a similar equity stake and also feeling like the founders are coming away with 30x more equity, when we all started around the same time.<p>What should I do? Leave or stay?
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refrigerator
0.5% for employee #1 is very low. Sounds like the company is doing well, and
also that you're in-demand in the industry, so if I were you I'd use these
facts to try and negotiate a higher salary (I wouldn't value equity too
highly).

If they don't go for it then I'd be ready to take another job — you can
definitely get a better package elsewhere (FB etc), and it sounds like you're
not super satisfied where you are right now.

Compared to founders, early employees get a bit of a shitty deal in general,
but your equity is definitely below market rate for a first employee.

All the best!

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chrisbennet
“Your mouth is saying you value me but my equity share says you don’t.” I
might not say it out loud to the founder, but I’d be thinking it.

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icedchai
0.5% is low. I got more than that as employee #6.

