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Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

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Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#2
I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions.

Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#3
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

Do you mean "traded cash for stock"?

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#4
post #3
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

Do you mean "traded cash for stock"?

[deleted]

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#5
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

This is the same as statistically from loading a 401k out performs DCA throughout the year.

Sure this year sucks, but if only 1-2 years out of 8 perform worse, BUT 6-7 years you perform better. Then holistically you’re still better off.

When you invest look at the long term not short term.

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#6
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

> it's terribly illiquid

I'm amazed at how many people that get a significant portion of their comp as RSUs hang on to their shares after vesting.

During this insane bull market it's happened to work out, but having your income and a major portion (for most tech workers) of your assets perfectly correlated is absolutely a bad investment idea, not to mention the fact that you can only trade during approved windows and are not allowed to do any hedging (such as buying protective puts).

Even if you're wildly bullish on your company, at the very least diversify a bit with highly correlated stocks (for example if you're a GOOG during the last decade at least split it up among other FAANG). This way you can at least protect yourself in the event that your particular company gets hit hard.

It's incredible how far away the dotcom burst is in people's minds (or even 2008). Cheap money has led to an insane period of growth in tech, but investing as though that were the norm is very risky (without even optimizing your reward for that risk).

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#7
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

> it's terribly illiquid I'm amazed at how many people that get a significant portion of their comp as RSUs hang on to their shares after vesting. During this insane bull market it's happened to work out, but having your income and a major portion (for most tech workers) of your assets perfectly correlated is absolutely a bad investment idea, not to mention the fact that you can only trade during approved windows and…

Endowment effect.

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#8
post #3
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

Do you mean "traded cash for stock"?

Yeah, fixed it in my comment - thanks!

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#9
post #3
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

Do you mean "traded cash for stock"?

I guess it's a bit ambiguous which direction you mean, either way. Maybe "gave up stock in exchange for cash" or vice versa?

Re: Shopify lets staff decide cash-stock pay mix as shares dive

#10
post #2

I obviously don't want to give financial advice, but every time I've traded cash for stock in comp it's worked out for me in spades in the long run. This doesn't happen for everyone, it might not happen for you, but it's been very good to me on three separate occasions. Just remember that it's terribly illiquid and you're going to doubt your decision, potentially up to a decade later.

> it's terribly illiquid I'm amazed at how many people that get a significant portion of their comp as RSUs hang on to their shares after vesting. During this insane bull market it's happened to work out, but having your income and a major portion (for most tech workers) of your assets perfectly correlated is absolutely a bad investment idea, not to mention the fact that you can only trade during approved windows and…

I was working for a major tech company—definitely not a startup during dot-comb. I had some amount of vested shares which seemed a lot at the time. I spent some but held onto a few tens of K$. Stock went down from over $100 at peak to about $4. By years later had recovered to about $25–and then Dell acquired for a premium.
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