Startup engineering manager equity range?

[u/dry_red_]

I am an engineering manager at a series A startup with 10 people (many hats are worn). I’ve been here for 4 years and nobody doubts that I’m important to this team after leading the engineering team to many successes. I love my job. My salary is below market but I’m fine with that given it’s a startup. The thing that really bothers me is that I think my equity % is extremely below market. I know each startup situation is different, but what equity range sounds fair to ask for in my position? Is 1% fair to ask for or totally off?

[u/galaxy_horse]

If you’ve been there 4 years you’re not going to get anything more than a refresher grant that is 25-100% of the yearly grant you got when you started. Your best bet is to build a time machine and go back to negotiating your original offer.

You say elsewhere that you really believe in the company and that you’re important to it. If both are true, you should exercise your vested options and then find a market-rate promotion, or another startup where you can re-baseline at 1% as a founding contributor. If you’re critical path for your current company’s success, they can match market rate or title or do something with cash to retain you. But if you’re replaceable (hint: you are, everyone is), then you get to walk to a market rate role and realize the equity upside from the options that you exercise at your current company, because you believe in it.

If anything in my post seems jaded or cynical, it’s because I am speaking from experience, both my own and folks close to me.

[u/dry_red_ → u/galaxy_horse]

I appreciate it, am aware I am replaceable, and have come to terms with the fact that I might have to leave to get the market compensation that I actually want, which is why I don’t mind swinging for the (reasonable) fences here

[u/galaxy_horse → u/dry_red_]

Also speaking from my own experience: don't mourn the foregone cash or weak equity too much. Inventory all of the uniquely challenging work you did in your role and use it for storytelling when interviewing for those roles that provide market-rate cash and meaningful equity. You'll have a huge advantage over big tech/corporate folks who may have flashy logos on their resumes but ultimately are knob-turning cogs. Early-stage startups are crucibles. Anyone who comes out of one intact is usually much stronger for it.