Startup vs Corporate Calculator
Expected value comparison including equity, stability, burnout risk.
Career decisions
Startup vs corporate - which is right for you?
Score both offers on 6 dimensions. We compute expected value + risk-adjusted verdict.
Startup offer
Corporate offer
The startup vs corporate maths
Startup jobs advertise equity that looks big. It usually isn't. Only 1 in 20 pre-series-A startups reach a meaningful exit; another 4 in 20 return the equity at face value; the rest return zero. Multiply your equity by 0.2-0.4 to get honest expected value.
Corporate wins on runway confidence, benefits and process. Startup wins on learning velocity, ownership and (sometimes) upside. The right answer depends on your life stage - early career favours startups; heavy family responsibilities favour corporate.