Offers and negotiation

An offer is a business proposal, not a moral judgment. Companies expect negotiation; many leave room in the first number. Engineers often leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table because they treat asking as rudeness, name a number too early or optimize base salary while ignoring level, equity and sign-on.

For how equity actually works economically, pair this page with employee equity and equity taxes. For choosing between company shapes, see career strategy.

Concepts in this section

Read them in order. Each one builds on the one before.

Step	Concept	What it answers
1	Compensation components	What is TC, and how do you spreadsheet a vest?
2	Level vs compensation	Why is level the master lever?
3	Negotiating an offer	What do you say, and when?
4	Evaluating startup equity	How do you price options without wishful math?
5	Juggling multiple offers	How do overlapping offers become leverage?
6	Accepting and declining offers	How do you close without burning reputations?

A year-1 picture

Offer A: $160k base, $40k bonus, $200k RSU over 4 years even → about $250k year-1 cash+equity. Offer B: $180k base, $80k RSU over 4 years → about $200k. A looks "lower base" and wins on TC if you trust the equity.

Level still beats that squeeze. Jumping a band often moves more over 2–4 years than topping out a lower one. Then negotiate after a written offer, with enthusiasm and a market-grounded $X.

Batching applications is what makes competing offers exist at the same time. Without that, you are negotiating a lonely number. Startup grants need a second spreadsheet: strike, dilution, preferences — not a levels.fyi TC line.

Geo band and remote mapping can move the same level by tens of percent; always clarify location before you compare. After you sign, watch refreshers and whether you drift off-band — negotiation does not end at the offer letter.

Common mistakes

Comparing base alone, or treating a 4-year grant as year-1 income.
Naming a number too early or disclosing current pay.
Fighting for an unrealistic level with junior-scoped evidence.
Pricing startup options as promised TC.
Ghosting, reneging, or interviewing "for practice" after you sign.

Key takeaways

Compare total compensation across base, bonus, sign-on and equity with real vest math — not base alone.
Level is the highest-leverage negotiation; dollars inside a band come next.
Use market data and overlapping offers; avoid early anchors and current-salary disclosure.
Negotiate after a written offer, with enthusiasm and specific asks.
Model startup equity as a risky asset; learn dilution, preferences and taxes.
Accept and decline cleanly in writing; protect long-term reputation.