posting my offer for calibration.
Role: Software Engineer, L4 Location: San Francisco (hybrid 3 days) Base: $215,000 RSU: $280,000 over 4 years (1-year cliff, monthly after) Sign-on: $25,000 Bonus: 10% target
Total year 1 all-in: approximately $310k depending on stock price at vest.
no negotiation on base, they said it was band-locked. did get the sign-on bumped from $15k to $25k by citing a competing offer (real one, from Datadog). RSUs were non-negotiable but recruiter confirmed the grant refreshes annually based on performance.
Stripe's equity is private so you're betting on an eventual liquidity event. factor that into your math vs a public co.
4 replies
contractor_kai
the private equity math is the thing people gloss over. if you're coming from a public company, you have to discount that $280k grant by some probability-weighted liquidity estimate. it's not zero, stripe is probably fine, but it's also not the same as GOOG RSUs that vest and you can sell next tuesday.
market_realist
competing offer to bump the sign-on is the move. every time. no shame, they expect it.
numbers_only
yep. and it doesn't have to be from a direct competitor. any real written offer works. the recruiter's job is to close you, they'll go back to the team if the gap is real.
analyst_ana
is the 3-day hybrid enforced or is it more like a guideline in practice? asking because sf rent math for someone at my level is brutal.