Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#101

Post by cimmanom » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 1:07 PM UTC

civility wrote: post #56

First startup, I traded nearly all of my salary over four years for stock options: $0 Second startup, I was told I'd get 5% of the company (no contract though). I quit after a year without pushing the topic: $0 Third job was not a startup, but it was a fairly small company, and I've made nearly two million in tax deferred accounts having made a healthy salary the entire time. I'm retiring this year. I learned a lot o…

How long have you been at the third company?

What kind of tax-deferred accounts allow $2M in deposits in less than 50 years?

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#102

Post by tastyham » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 1:22 PM UTC

I made about $75k when my last company IPOed. I had worked there for 2 years before and had a relatively junior salary and not many options. I had a range of options at different strike prices, they averaged out to about 100% gain, but some were more and some were less.

People who had been there long had both lower option prices and more options and made quite a bit.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#103

Post by sneak » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:13 PM UTC

rubicon33 wrote: post #59

deanmoriarty wrote: post #58

Joined among the first 10 employees. The company grew to 200 employees and 400M valuation in 4 years. Sold last year a portion of my vested shares for 1M to investors as part of a secondary transaction, and I still have a decent amount (70%) of vested shares and unvested options, since the company hasn’t exited yet and management has no plan of doing so in the short/medium term. I’m not counting on the rest of the eq…

Seriously? 4 years at FAANG would net you $1,000,000 savings? That seems... crazy. Can someone explain how that works? Your salary alone living in the bay area, definitely isn't goin to net you $1,000,000 in savings.

https://twitter.com/patio11/status/1006321911926870017

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#104

Post by macklemoreshair » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:17 PM UTC

First employee. Company sold for $1B in 6 years.

$2.95m before taxes.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#105

Post by dyeje » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:28 PM UTC

rubicon33 wrote: post #61

civility wrote: post #56

First startup, I traded nearly all of my salary over four years for stock options: $0 Second startup, I was told I'd get 5% of the company (no contract though). I quit after a year without pushing the topic: $0 Third job was not a startup, but it was a fairly small company, and I've made nearly two million in tax deferred accounts having made a healthy salary the entire time. I'm retiring this year. I learned a lot o…

"Third job was not a startup, but it was a fairly small company, and I've made nearly two million in tax deferred accounts" I would love to know how. Am I just stupid? How am I missing these opportunities? Someone above posted that 4 years at FAANG would net you $1,000,000 savings. And you're saying that a "fairly small" company netted you $2,000,000 savings? I am failing at life, apparently.

I wouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. I often see absurb compensation packages posted on HN and have never seen anything close to them in real life.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#106

Post by shartshooter » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:30 PM UTC

first job out of school, started as an entry level at a startup with ~$20MM in funding, employee #60 or so. Stuck around six years through an additional hundred $MM and an exit for $3-400MM and was the most senior director at the time.

Walked away with $140k after taxes

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#107

Post by pm90 » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:31 PM UTC

mikekchar wrote: post #98

rubicon33 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Third job was not a startup, but it was a fairly small company, and I've made nearly two million in tax deferred accounts" I would love to know how. Am I just stupid? How am I missing these opportunities? Someone above posted that 4 years at FAANG would net you $1,000,000 savings. And you're saying that a "fairly small" company netted you $2,000,000 savings? I am failing at life, apparently.

People win the lottery. You don't ask "Am I doing something wrong. I bought a ticket too and didn't win anything". These huge bonuses, etc are handed out to people who either have really scarce skills or get lucky. Wikipedia[1] says there are nearly 4 million software developers in the US. If each were to receive a million dollars, then it would total up to 4 trillion USD (using US ways of naming large numbers). The…

Nobody makes a million dollars a year. Read the comment... it’s over their entire tenure at the company.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#108

Post by cannonedhamster » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:34 PM UTC

Startup 1: $0 (company still going but options are worthless) Startup 2: $0 - options cancelled in lieu of ~$2k in bonus.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#109

Post by xivzgrev » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:36 PM UTC

First company if I had chosen to exercise when I left maybe 10k. A second company I chose to give up 5k in salary to get some shares which I opted not to exercise when I left. Now, I follow these rules:

1) optimize for cash. Stock is cherry on top. 2) if weighing two offers the one with RSUs should be weighted more. No "handcuffs" needing to pay to exercise if you leave.

Number 2 is referring to later stage private company. I haven't worked at a company where strike price is pennies or whatever, or a public company where you can sell at time of exercise. Then handcuffs may be worth it.

Re: Ask HN: How much did you, as an employee, make when your startup exited?

#110

Post by deanmoriarty » Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 2:39 PM UTC

dyeje wrote: post #105

rubicon33 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Third job was not a startup, but it was a fairly small company, and I've made nearly two million in tax deferred accounts" I would love to know how. Am I just stupid? How am I missing these opportunities? Someone above posted that 4 years at FAANG would net you $1,000,000 savings. And you're saying that a "fairly small" company netted you $2,000,000 savings? I am failing at life, apparently.

I wouldn't believe everything you read on the internet. I often see absurb compensation packages posted on HN and have never seen anything close to them in real life.

The fact that you are doubting the information I wrote in the previous comment, suggesting the parent poster to not necessarily believe them, is disturbing.

I can only say I truly got those packages and I’m an average engineer.

I suggest you ask to the close friends you have working at FAANG if those are true.