A company’s early ownership decisions shape later hiring and financing conversations. Start with responsibilities and the founder allocation, then connect the split to a defined hiring reserve and vesting agreement. This collection favors explicit commitments and documented assumptions over a universal percentage formula. Use the linked topic guides to build a more complete conversation with your co-founders and advisers.
Bring these questions to the table
Discuss expected work, time commitment, cash contributions, vesting, and departure arrangements before settling on a split. Then ask whether the percentage describes the founder allocation or the whole fully diluted company. The related topic pages connect that initial conversation with hiring and financing so the team can see how one decision affects the next.
Founder Equity Splits: A Practical Guide to Ownership and Commitment
Work through founder equity splits, future commitments, hiring pools, vesting, departures, and the documents behind an ownership agreement.