Agreed re: transparency. I've had startups refuse to share what even the current valuation was (edit: even when actually presenting an offer!), let alone who has preferences and convertible notes and such. If I'm taking a substantial cut in liquid comp compared to BigCorp, I can't just treat equity as a happy little upside. I need to understand exactly what terms it is subject to.
As for equity amounts - if I have to assume your startup will grow at least 10X, without any further dilution, in order to break even on comp with a public corp, it's not a very compelling offer.
I've interviewed at places that wouldn't even disclose how long their runway was. I've even gone to work at one company that claimed a six-month runway and then ran out of money after six weeks.
As for equity amounts - if I have to assume your startup will grow at least 10X, without any further dilution, in order to break even on comp with a public corp, it's not a very compelling offer.