Build Mode is back. This season we\u2019re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class founding team starting with your cap table, equity structures, and startup compensation strategy. <\/p>\n
We kick off with Yuri Sagalov, managing director at General Catalyst and former founder, YC partner, and seed investor at Wayfinder Ventures. Yuri has worked with hundreds of pre-seed and seed-stage startups, and he shares practical advice on how early-stage founders should think about startup equity, cap table design, investor selection, and compensation structures from day one. <\/p>\n
He breaks down: <\/p>\n
\u2022 The 3 types of investors (and which one to avoid)
\n\u2022 Why your cap table is part of your team
\n\u2022 The 20\u201325% seed dilution rule
\n\u2022 How to split equity with a co-founder
\n\u2022 How to talk to early employees about risk and compensation <\/p>\n
No matter where you are in your startup journey, this episode will help you get the incentive structure right from the beginning. <\/p>\n
Chapters: <\/p>\n
00:00 – Why your first hires deserve more equity
\n00:31 – Meet Yuri Sagalov (YC \u2192 General Catalyst)
\n02:12 – Your cap table is part of your team
\n02:50 – The 3 types of investors (avoid this one)
\n05:02 – How to split equity with a co-founder
\n07:55 – How much equity to give early employees
\n09:37 – How to talk compensation and risk
\n12:31 – Red flags in formation docs and vesting
\n18:27 – Advisors for equity? Usually a mistake
\n20:05 – The 20\u201325% seed dilution rule
\n26:03 – The shift to 10-year stock options
\n34:11 – Don\u2019t scale before product-market fit
\n39:23 – Final advice: Just start and choose your co-founder carefully <\/p>\n
New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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