Ask HN: Which to join? late stage pre IPO or FAANG

2 pointsuptownfunk1 comment

If my objective function is purely to optimize upside potential (income, bonus, stock etc) does it make sense to join an established FAANG or a late stage pre Ipo like Airbnb, Qualtrix etc? Thinking about middle management roles..

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Late stage pre-IPO stock is usually fairly valued, and very few companies at this stage would consider ISOs (which have somewhat of a tax benefit).

Therefore no hard rule, just run the numbers on an offer-by-offer basis. Depending on your fit and skill set some employer might kick in some premium to tilt the scale in their favor.

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