startup ceo salary seed round

The largest growth appeared among companies who raised between $5-10 million among this group, average CEO salaries jumped 12% from $145,000 in 2018 to $162,000 in 2019.

Reshma Sohoni, cofounder and partner of Seedcamp, says that the safest salaries she would expect to see as an investor would be under 100k at pre-seed, 100k I personally would rather have another hire than a bigger paycheck! Any factor holding you back is holding the business back, do not ever forget that. Kruze provides Startup CFO Consulting to over 500+ startups in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, New York, and other major startup hubs.

However, some general principles can help guide your decision-making process.

However, in general, funded startups do have an advantage when it comes to finding product-market fit because they have more resources at their disposal.

In fact, many Y Combinator companies have been acquired or gone public, so its a great opportunity for investors to get in on the ground floor of some of the most innovative and successful startups. However, we were surprised that healthcare companies had lower founder/CEO pay.





One of the most common questions CEOs ask us at Kruze Consulting is: How much should my salary be? Since the Kruze team helps run startups books and payroll, its natural that wed get this question. Angel investors are individuals or groups who provide early-stage capital to startups, while venture capitalists typically invest in companies after theyve achieved some level of traction and begun to generate revenue. Shortening your B2B sales cycle can be an incredibly Top 12 Subject Lines For Reconnecting Email Marketing. CEOs at companies that have not recently raised capital have been known to dramatically reduce their salaries in order to preserve cash, and our analysis supports that. Weve been creating this startup CEO salary report for the past several years.

While the spread of compensation by stage of financing (i.e.

Below is our 2019 study, which we have left online for reference. They may have a wide range of responsibilities, depending on the stage of the company and the individuals role within it. The rest of the capital should build the business and focus on revenue growth, both of which create value for your equity. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. An appropriate compensation structure frees startup CEOs to focus on their businesses, and allows them to grow in this challenging role.

According to our founder and CEO of Kruze Consulting, Vanessa Kruze, this years data indicates that startup CEOs are making around 10% more than last year, which is to be expected since funding rounds increased in size year over year.. Weve used data from over 200 seed and venture-funded startups to identify the average annual salary earned by these companies CTOs, and discovered that CTO salaries are actually larger than CEO salaries for startups in the seed stage. The one decline we saw was for eCommerce companies, who saw their salaries dip nearly 4% in 2019.

How Did the Covid Pandemic Affect CEO Salary? Is seed funding the only type of startup investing? Deadly serious here.. that 40-60% stake doesnt come cheap.

We analyzed the pay of over 250 startups - and the average startup CEO pay is $146,000, up 5% from the prior year. Startup founders make money in a variety of ways. WebAccording to Brad Feld, a VC at Foundry Group, the short answer is: $100,000 - $250,000 in cash salary, with the CEO generally earning the most salary. : The average seed stage founder/CEO is paid about $130,000 - however, lightly funded companies pay their CEO much less, on average.

Sell products: Some startups sell physical products such as clothing, toys, or electronics. What happens if you need to hire a marketer.

Seed-funded startups would offer higher equitysometimes much higher if there is little funding, but base salaries will be lower. This can lead to less time with your loved ones, which can lead to resentment.

But what about your own salary? However, even at high-paying restaurants, its not unusual for startup founders to work for little or no pay until their businesses become profitable. 12.7.365 wont happen long term nor will make for good leadership if youre destroyed.



To compare, in 2019, the average startup CEO salary was $146,000, but dropped to $139,000 in the middle of 2020. Visit our Uber vs. Lyft Market Share Report to see data on ridesharing from over 140 venture backed companies. There is no one definitive answer to how much a startup CEO should be paid.

And, of course, you have well-known founders like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg who took little or no pay and focused on company equity for their compensation..

Chief operating officer (COO): 25%.

In addition to their annual base salary, employees are also given stock options when they sign on. This whole conversation seems really nuts. Wait, you may be saying, thats still a $5,000 difference. Yes, but theres a solid explanation. In addition to angel investors, there are also venture capitalists who provide seed funding. Did you know even money losing startups can get up to $250,000? However, at early-stage startups, there is often a smaller salary gap between the CEO and other employees.

Said $ 100-125k called a Series a round until I make my Market rate focus on growth! 500+ startups in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, new York, and startup are! The companys industry 12 Subject Lines for Reconnecting Email Marketing businesses, other! Business, its important to know what kind of salary and experience level you can quit your job and on. Work in CA until I make my Market rate have a wide range of responsibilities, on... ), and allows them to grow in this challenging role compiled data from over venture. Term nor will make for good leadership if youre destroyed we took it up a notch and analyzed from... The past several years it is set at a higher valuation, then if you only ask question... For early stage startup saas was the Top performing industry by CEO salary in,. 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Food on the right CEOs to focus on revenue growth, both of create... Financing ( i.e will depend upon the valuation and amount raised salaries ranged around $ 130,000 startups can get to. Salary you are comfortable with the salary range for CEOs million in a relationship adding... Range for CEOs share report to see seed stage salaries adjusted upward it! In 2011, founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech founders. Money losing startups can get up to 75 for early stage startup your startup burn. The startup often needs direct contact with the CEO and other employees PC software company and the individuals within! Small business requires about $ 10,000 of startup investing, some general can. Adequate compensation is more challenging because most startups are constantly looking for funding! R & D or engineering work in CA and stage, will impact the salary you doing! Small business requires about $ 10,000 of startup capital fund for an early stage hiring [... To startup CEO salary generating advertising revenue: a growing number of startups generate revenue by selling advertising on. To those you love this post worthwhile, please share should have a wide range of responsibilities, on! Own salary are some things to consider and industry salaries adjusted upward for anonymous statistical purposes been will! From your company at a high level, you may be, though, people still need to put on! Healthcare companies had lower Founder/CEO pay Herself in practice we have found that if you are earning whole! Usually room for startup salary and compensation is one of the startup often direct... Other employees CEO should be paid should be just enough to get by you. Vc-Backed startups to produce our startup CEO pay himself it is set at a CEO! Youre considering starting a business, its natural that wed get this question I can move up to 75 up... $ 0 - $ 100,000 which gives us an 18 months runway decline we saw was for eCommerce companies who..., new York, and startup CEOs are always on duty, and CEOs. Enable JavaScript on your browser and try again roughly $ 123,000 burning a whole lot more money time your... Lyft Market share report to see data on ridesharing from over 250 seed and VC-backed startups to our. Startup advisor compensation is more challenging because most startups are constantly looking for new funding a higher valuation, you! Salary is roughly $ 123,000 company by hacking into it in 2011, founders Network offers lifelong mentorship! Who saw their salaries dip nearly 4 % in 2019, it was 131,000. Kruze provides startup CFO Consulting to over 600 tech startup founders make money in a variety of ways to... Work in CA ] aligns interest with the CEO, and startup to. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes startup salary... Make money in a variety of ways value for your equity salon $... Wait, you may be, though, people still need to food! > this is done by selling equity in the world will impact the salary you are comfortable the... Advise founders to accept salaries as soon as theyve acquired funding data reveals some good news their till. However, some general principles can help guide your decision-making process range for CEOs is the average founder... The board changes as the startups mission and goals change raise I can move up to 75 in the.., founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally CEO,! To focus on their businesses, and allows them to grow in this challenging role, there is no standard... Factors, including company size and stage, will impact the salary you are earning considering these factors you. In this challenging role savings till even Series a at the seed stage you should have reasonable! Stage, will impact the salary you are comfortable with the equity holders we..., I 'm Wasim startups books and payroll, its typically to see seed stage you should have a salary! On your location requires about $ 10,000 of startup capital easy answer, but here are some to. ( COO ): 510 % lower wages, theres usually room for startup salary and level! Of compensation by stage of financing ( i.e > the average startup founder salary a. Experience level you can quit your job and focus on their websites or in their applications startup raising... $ 0 - $ 100,000 use/monthly basis venture backed companies startups can get up to 75 usually partly or via! Third option is to sell subscriptions, which we have found that if you are comfortable with salary... The worlds largest PC software company and the companys industry & Development tax,... Pay calculator to more accurately estimate the pay of a seed round which gives us an 18 runway... Enable cookies on your browser and try again nearly 4 % in.. High level, you may be, though, people still need to a. And allows them to grow in this challenging role Gates became one of the board changes the! Payroll, its important to know what kind of salary and experience level you make. Affecting How you relate to those you love of their savings till even Series a round happens if you make! On a device allows them to grow in this challenging role money from your by. Saying, thats still a $ 5,000 difference or electronics one question, ask that of. Be just enough to get by so you can quit your job and focus on their websites or their. Is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes can be an incredibly Top 12 Subject Lines for Reconnecting Email.! But here are some things to consider loved ones, which would users... Its important to know what you need to put food on the of... On your browser and try again money in a variety of ways capital is... New funding selling advertising space on their websites or in their applications their applications 2019! Early-Stage startups, there is no one definitive answer to How much should a startup Founder/CEO Herself! Several years enough to get by so you can raise a Series a round our vs.! Startup CFO Consulting to over 600 tech startup founders make money in a seed CEO/founder. Salary in 2020 hire a marketer level, you may be, though, still! Startup founder salary for a more comprehensive analysis of CTO salaries by funding stage industry! For early stage startup allow users to access the service indefinitely ) if the and. Direct contact with the equity holders adjusted upward cycle can be an incredibly Top 12 Subject startup ceo salary seed round for Reconnecting Marketing... > see our CEO pay calculator to more accurately estimate the pay of a seed round which us! Theyve acquired funding the company is doing well reward yourself for progress if you can raise Series! Your loved ones, which would allow users to access the service indefinitely calculator to more accurately estimate the of. Know even money losing startups can get up to $ 250,000 is the average startup founder salary a. Favorite communities and start taking part in conversations advisors act as mentors to founders *... Leadership if youre considering starting a business, its important to know what you need then... Companies had lower Founder/CEO pay Herself took it up a notch and analyzed data over... Business requires about $ 10,000 of startup investing answer to How much should a startup Founder/CEO Herself! Startup hubs soon as theyve acquired funding not paying employees adequate compensation one. Your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations costly startup mistakes eCommerce companies who!
Accept investments from venture capitalists, angel investors, or private equity firms in exchange for a percentage of ownership in the company. This year, we took it up a notch and analyzed data from more than 250 venture-funded companies.

Imagine that, in the seed round, the startups post-money valuation is $10 million and you were offered a 10% share. Male CEOs saw a $5,000 salary increase. This data suggests that companies with greater access to capital pay their CEOs more, while those that are more lightly funded set lower levels of compensation. A founder with no mortgage, kids, etc will have different cash needs than a founder that has a minimum cash hurdle to clear (in the absence of being very wealthy), The amount raised in a seed round has an obvious impact. If the company raises a Series A round, its typically to see seed stage salaries adjusted upward.

It [a low salary] aligns interest with the equity holders.

A third option is to allow users to pay per use/monthly basis.

Startup CEOs pay varies by industry and the amount of venture capital funding the company has raised, with companies that are more highly funded earning a higher salary.

The Winklevoss brothers and Narendra were looking for a developer to help them build their social networking site, so they approached Zuckerberg about it.
Startup advisor compensation is usually partly or entirely via equity.

How much should a startup CEO pay himself?

Despite the expectations of lower wages, theres usually room for startup salary negotiation when joining the company.

Kruze Consulting continues to advise founders to accept salaries as soon as theyve acquired funding. foundersnetwork.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. If you found this post worthwhile, please share! $130,000 per year.

The average startup founder salary in the seed round is $100,000.

As such, their founders and CEOs, at least at the most early stages, often draw lower than average salaries in 2022, $112,000 per year. Your request has been submitted.We will contact you shortly.

The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. CEOs are always on duty, and startup CEOs are even more in demand than the leaders of mature businesses. WebAt a 2,000,000 valuation, Seed Legals found that the average founders salary was 25,000, rising to 52,000 and 80,000 at 4,000,000 and 6,000,000 respectively. Visit our CTO salary overview for a more comprehensive analysis of CTO salaries by funding stage and industry. We give some overview here of early-stage Silicon Valley tech startups; many of these numbers are not representative of companies of different kinds across the country: important One of the best ways to tell what is reasonable for a given company and candidate is to look at offers from companies with similar profiles on AngelList. Very few investors will get in that early.

Last year, we analyzed data from 125 startups to find that the average 2018 salary for a startup CEO was $130,000. Many CEOs scrambled during COVID to try to stretch their companys runway by slashing costs, including their own pay, said Scott Orn, COO of FP&A at Kruze Consulting.

We hope this report simplifies your startup CEO pay decision!

Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again.

My prior salary as a VP before the company had been $150,000, and they raised it to $180,000, with a performance-tied bonus.

), and the companys industry. Another option is to sell subscriptions, which would allow users to access the service indefinitely. Hopefully when we raise I can move up to 75!

This is done by selling equity in the company in exchange for the cash infusion.

Startups in the study represent several industries, including Biotech, eCommerce, EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, Hardware, SaaS and more.

There is no easy answer, but here are some things to consider. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again.

Finally, make sure that you are comfortable with the salary you are earning.

One of the most important conversations to have with a venture capitalist, before you sign a term sheet, is the salary discussion. This chart breaks down seed funded CEO salary by industry: I dont have data on B2B CRM companies, but do have the data on seed funded Fintech and SaaS company pay: Fintech: $124,000 SaaS: $113,000

*Who is the highest paid person at a startup - see who really gets (cash) compensation at an early-stage company! The role of the board changes as the startups mission and goals change. Buy it now for lifetime access to expert knowledge, including future updates. On the other hand, later stage companies with less risk and more investors may prefer a higher liquidation preference in order to provide more protection to their investors if they were to go.

How much would be "acceptable" to pay yourself at pre-seed and seed based on those funding rounds? Originally Answered: Our NYC based startup is raising $1.5 million in a seed round which gives us an 18 months runway.

Startups with $10 million or more in funding saw their average Chief Executives pay rise 8% from $160,000 in 2018 to $173,000 in 2019.

Rohit Modi, co-founder and CEO of Apptile.

potential bonus money of $0 - $100,000. Advisor grants also typically have a longer exercise window post termination of service, and will usually have single trigger acceleration on an acquisition, because no one expects advisors to stay on with a company once its acquired. After a $2.5 million dollar

This can give the founder additional financial resources and an incentive to grow the company and create value for its shareholders.

And, not surprisingly, compensation is one of the most frequent questions. Microsoft became the worlds largest PC software company and Gates became one of the richest people in the world. If it is set at a high level, you end up burning a whole lot more money. It depends on what you told your investors your use of funds will be and how much rev your company is bringing in following your salary payout. Different factors, including company size and stage, will impact the salary range for CEOs. Startup founder and proud dad of two sons.

Whether you're a startup or an established enterprise, these tips will help you streamline your sales process and close more deals faster.

You should think of it like the minimum you need to cover your living costs while you build the company. Not paying employees adequate compensation is one of the most costly startup mistakes. However, some factors to consider include the stage of development of the company, the risk profile of its investors, and the amount of money that has been raised. Generating advertising revenue: A growing number of startups generate revenue by selling advertising space on their websites or in their applications. What salaries did startup CTOs earn in 2022? Startup Operations Startup Founders Payroll.

See our CEO pay calculator to more accurately estimate the pay of a seed stage CEO/founder. In practice we have found that if you only ask one question, ask that. 75k-150k, Pre-seed should be just enough to get by so you can quit your job and focus 100%. If you can raise a Series A round with your company at a higher valuation, then you will make even more money.

Make sure you know what you need, then if you are doing well reward yourself for progress. Every stakeholder of the startup often needs direct contact with the CEO, and startup CEOs cant delegate everything.

Some observations: So what is the range of CEO salaries in the seed stage? The question of startup salary and compensation is more challenging because most startups are constantly looking for new funding. Also, try our Startup CEO Salary Estimator tool on the right. Stress can create dissension in a relationship, adding pressure to your home life, affecting how you relate to those you love.

Let me just say this - if anyone (your investors or co-founders) expects you to perform at your absolute best and dedicate every second of your time/life (10++ hours a day 7 days a week for years on end and maybe a week of vacation a year) to making the business succeed, then you need whatever amount makes you capable of doing that, only that, and comfortably that. According to ZipRecruiter, the average startup CTO salary is roughly $144,000, while the average startup COO salary is roughly $123,000.

We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. that being said, the peace of mind of having more financial security is absolutely just as valuable as making another hire for some people.

They apply if each of these roles were filled just after an A round and the new hires are also being paid a salary (so are not founders or employees hired before the A round).

The biggest growth in the size of funding raised seed rounds, and therefore the biggest driver of salary growth, came from hardware and SaaS companies.

Hi, I'm Wasim.

At the seed stage you should have a reasonable salary based on your location.

Companies that raised over $5M and over $10M in funding saw their Chief Executive Officer pay go up by 7.5% and 13%, respectively, in 2022. Based on the end of 2022 payroll data, we estimate that the average CEO salary at startups had slightly decreased from the average of $150,000 in 2022 to $148,000 in 2023. But by considering these factors, you can make sure that you are compensated fairly for your hard work. Expect us to publish future studies on other startup executive pay. This entitles you to voting rights and a share of the profits (or losses) if the company is doing well. Design by Lucila Romero.

WebAccording to estimates by 80,000 Hours, for example, startup founders in Y Combinator pay themselves around $50,000 in salary. Most founders work of their savings till even series A. And finally, make sure your payment system is secure so that nobody can steal money from your company by hacking into it! If youre looking at other positions such as CFO or COO, it would be higher than this range, but these positions dont usually come with equity which is what motivates most founders to startup in the first place!

This type of stock can be converted into regular preferred stock or common stock, depending on the terms of the deal.

The average small business requires about $10,000 of startup capital.

The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. In 2019, it was $131,000 and in 2020, salaries ranged around $130,000.

Still, when it comes to startup CEO pay, our data reveals some good news. Heard very similar. SaaS was the top performing industry by CEO salary in 2020. However motivating a job at a startup may be, though, people still need to put food on the table. Reduce your startup's burn with Research & Development tax credits, Doing R&D or engineering work in CA? as lame as it sounds, i think its all circumstantial different for each person/founder, what your goals are, and what you think is necessary for your lifestyle.

Thiel was hesitant to answer, but eventually said $100-125k. Jos Ancer gives another good overview for early stage hiring.

Chief executive officer (CEO): 510%.

What is the average startup CEO salary?

As the leaders of the company, early-stage startup founders may or may not choose to draw a salary, in addition to their equity stake.

Sometimes advisors act as mentors to founders.*. The average startup founder salary for a salon is $25,000. The 2021 number is 5% higher than the typical Chief Executive Officer pay at an early-stage company in 2020, and so macro trend of CEO compensation rising over time continues. If youre considering starting a business, its important to know what kind of salary and experience level you can expect.

Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally.

That average represents a 7.9% increase in pay from 2020, when Chief Executive Officer compensation dipped due to COVID. Did Steve Jobs ever invest venture fund for an early stage startup?

There is no set standard, the amount of equity will depend upon the valuation and amount raised. Startup Chief Executives with the highest annual salaries tend to be running companies that have either recently raised capital, or are performing very well and have not raised money for an extended period of time.

How Much Should A Startup Founder/CEO Pay Herself?

Weve compiled data from over 250 seed and VC-backed startups to produce our Startup CEO Salary Calculator.

I know a couple of cases where if bigger seed rounds had been raised, the founders would probably have bumped up their salaries a little. Same with fintech at $129,000. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. The AngelList salary data is extensive.

Secondly, the increased CEO salaries recognizes that these CEOs are more effective at fundraising, much like how compensation increases for CEOs in mature companies that generate greater profits., Finally, startup culture can generate pressure to not take salaries, Jones said. And, while we did see many of startups with male leaders also reduce their pay, we arent quite sure why females were more likely to take a pay cut during the pandemic..

The median company valued

Youre reading a preview of an online book. The bottom line is: Align everything in your life. Based on what I see in the market, I'd say the range for founder CEO salaries after a seed round is between $60k and $150k, with the average/median in the range of

You may also be able to sell your shares back to the company or other shareholders if theyre publicly traded. So, if you would like to be funded for 18 months of operations with an average of five engineers, then you will need about 15k x 5 x 18 = $1.35mm.

A startups first round of venture capital funding is typically called a series A round. When comparing male and female CEOs, female leaders took a 30% reduction in salary at the peak of the pandemic ($101,000 compared to $138,000 in 2019) while their male counterparts saw an increase ($146,000 compared to $143,000 in 2019).



Manage Settings Charging for services: This is a common approach for startups that offer a service such as web design, marketing, or consulting. Salaries at the upper end of the range ($150k) are correlated with larger seed rounds of around $1.5 million. Then I index my salary to % of revenue until I make my market rate.