Why 'Competitive' Isn’t a Compensation Philosophy Ask most executives about their compensation philosophy -- whether at startups, private, or public companies -- and you'll hear some variation of "we pay competitively” and/or “we pay for performance." Press for specifics—competitive means which percentile? Performance measured how? What happens when market rates and performance signals conflict?—and the answers often reveal that what passes for philosophy is really just an ac

One of the most overlooked aspects of compensation design is temporal alignment—ensuring reward timing matches goal timing. While many...

The talent market correction since 2021 has brought base salaries down from their peaks, but it's also intensified competition for top performers who now have more mobility and options than ever. While startups today achieve remarkable revenue efficiency—often matching the output of companies 2-3x their size just a decade ago—they're also raising larger funding rounds, creating different cash allocation possibilities. For founders who've deliberately chosen equity-only incent