Answers
Answers to common questions about founding roles and early-stage startups.
What equity should a founding designer get?
Founding designers typically receive 0.3% to 2% equity depending on stage, timing, and employee number. The first design hire at a pre-seed startup might receive 1-2%, while a designer joining at seed stage after initial product work might receive 0.3-0.8%. Design hires generally receive slightly less equity than engineering hires at the same stage, but significantly more than later design hires who join after Series A.
How much does a founding sales hire make?
Founding sales hires typically earn $90K-$150K base salary plus commission, with total on-target earnings (OTE) of $150K-$250K depending on stage, deal size, and location. Equity ranges from 0.25% to 1.5%, with the first sales hire at seed stage receiving 0.8-1.5%. Sales compensation is more heavily weighted toward variable pay (commission) than other founding roles.
What is the difference between a founding engineer and a senior engineer?
A founding engineer makes foundational technical decisions with minimal oversight, defines engineering culture, and works with extreme product ambiguity, typically as one of the first 5-10 employees. Senior engineers at established companies work within existing systems, follow established architecture patterns, and have clear requirements and processes. Founding engineers receive significantly more equity (0.5-3%) but face higher execution risk.
What does a chief of staff do at a startup?
A chief of staff at a startup works directly with the CEO or founding team on the company's highest-priority projects, acting as a force multiplier across strategy, operations, communications, and execution. The role is highly context-dependent and typically involves board preparation, fundraising support, key hires, strategic initiatives, and anything requiring high-context decision-making. Chief of staff roles emerge post-Series A when founders need leverage on execution and coordination.
Is a founding role worth it?
Founding roles are worth it for people who value equity upside, learning velocity, and influence over stable compensation and established processes. The median outcome is lower total comp than big tech, but the upside (successful exit) can be life-changing. Founding roles make sense for people early in their career seeking accelerated learning, or experienced professionals who've optimized for cash comp at larger companies and want ownership and impact.