Know what your equity is actually worth before you sign.
Paste your offer letter or grant. In minutes, get a plain-English decision memo: what you have, what it could plausibly be worth, the tax traps with dates on them, and the three questions to ask before you sign anything.
"You will be granted an option to purchase 12,000 shares at an exercise price equal to the fair market value as determined by the Company's most recent 409A valuation, vesting over 48 months with a 12-month cliff."
In plain English
You get nothing for a year. Then, if you stay, the right to buy 12,000 shares at today's price. Whether that right is worth $0 or $300,000 depends on three numbers this letter doesn't mention. The memo finds them.
"Incentive Stock Options may be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax upon exercise. Optionees are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors."
The trap, in plain English
Exercise at the wrong time and you can owe a five-figure tax bill on paper gains you can't sell. People learn this after it happens. You'll learn it before, with the dates that matter circled.
Your memo, four fields.
One document, written for a smart person who doesn't speak securities law. No dashboard, no login, no financial-advisor upsell.
What you have
Your grant, translated.ISOs, NSOs, RSUs, cliffs, acceleration, early exercise. What each clause in your document actually commits you to.
What it's worth
Honest scenarios, not hype.What your stake looks like if the company exits big, exits small, raises and dilutes you, or goes to zero. The full range, with the math shown.
Tax calendar
The traps, with dates.AMT exposure, the 90-day exercise window if you leave, 83(b) deadlines. The expensive mistakes are irreversible. The memo puts them on a calendar.
Before signing
Three questions to ask.The specific questions for this offer that the company can answer and the letter avoided. Asking them is free and signals you know what you're doing.
You're not the confused one. The documents are.
55%
of employees say making equity decisions is stressful.
63%
don't know how to reduce the taxes on their own equity.
Source: Carta employee equity survey
Decode yours
Founding price is $29 per memo ($49 after launch week). Paste your document, pay once via Stripe, get your memo in about a minute. Here's exactly what you'll get.