Negotiating the Right Job Offer – Long Form Q&A Between Stock Option Counsel and BINC Search
Read the full Q&A between Mary Russell and Boris Epstein. It’s full of insights on how to negotiate the right compensation offer from a startup.
Mary Russell counsels individual employees and founders to negotiate, maximize and monetize their stock options and other startup stock. She is an attorney and the founder of Stock Option Counsel.
Boris Epstein is the founder of BINC Search, a next-generation recruiting startup that helps Silicon Valley companies hire technical talent at the scale they need.
From The Daily Muse
Attorney Mary Russell, Founder of Stock Option Counsel based in San Francisco, advises that anyone receiving equity compensation should evaluate the company and offer based on his or her own independent analysis. This means thoughtfully looking at the company’scapitalization and valuation.
Skype Repurchase Rights = Vampire Capitalism
I agree that it is unethical as it goes against the expectation of employees as to how their contributions are valued. If they don't know about it before they choose the company, they are making a choice without an essential term of the deal.
And it goes against the most idealistic ethic of Silicon Valley – that capitalism should be used by groups to organize and cultivate their own creative efforts rather than as a tool of vampires.
But it is not illegal. And I've seen worse in my Stock Option Counsel practice (twice this month alone). Congratulations on paying attention.