I have some vested ESOPs. I want to buy the shares from a private company that granted the ESOPs.  The ESOPs grant letter is paper based on company letter head.  I wanted to exercise my partially v...

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I have some vested ESOPs.
I want to buy the shares from a private company that granted the ESOPs.

The ESOPs grant letter is paper based on company letter head.

I wanted to exercise my partially vested options, I wanted to know a few things.

Could the company play any delay tactics?
Let us say I email them Today.

What's ideally be the tentative timeline to excercise the options, given I have money to buy and hold the stock.

If the valuation at moment is unknown, could it be bought at last known valuation?

Process to exercise the vested ESOPs.

Process to exercise the vested ESOPs.- Grapevine

Hi Guys, what is the “Exercise event” for the ESOPs allotted by Indian startup’s?

Note: Exercise event means when the vested ESOPs can be allotted.

I have come across a couple startup’s which have a very sketchy Exercise event I.e 4 years after vesting of “all the allotted ESOPs”

So I’m trying to figure out how other startup’s are doing it in BLR/Metro cities in India.

ESOP Exercise Query

Software Developer

Where did you work and how much money did you make?

Asking as it looks like a lot of promise of ESOPs and wealth creation has failed employees in this bloodbath slow growth, layoffs, and job changes.

"ESOPs made me rich af"

I have had ESOPS in 2 companies 
#1 - company got acquired ..I got 45 Lacs IN ESOP ...thats 1.5X of my last annualized salary  ( so additional salary for 18 months) 
#2 - Company became unicorn ... I quit and company bought my ESOPs . Got 2 Cr
That is 3X of my annualized salary

Company 1 - I had joined at very early stage ; Company 2 - I joined at mid-stage

UX/UI Designer

Truths about ESOP 101 

After working in multiple fast growth startup’s and having been part of multiple buybacks as well as being in the startup ecosystem for a decade I want to put to bear my pov about creating wealth through ESOP. 

Like any other randomised event, ESOP also follows Pareto principle which means a very small number of people within the company ever make sizable wealth that they elevate to the top 0.1% of the country. 

The Pareto also applies with companies; significantly small minority of companies in India have employee friendly policies which enables an employee to create wealth. 

Most startup’s have dark patterns within their esop policy which either locks you in for insufferable durations or forces you to pay exorbitant taxes to gain the right to exercise your esops when you are leaving the company. 

Survivorship bias plays a huge role in enabling the narrative that esop is a great wealth generating tool leading to rude awakening for an employee after they join a company. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t make wealth, it just means don’t get carried away by narratives and take preventable errors in your career. 

Always talk to multiple people in startup’s and ask relevant questions to understand esop policies better. 

Like everything else optimising only for esop for wealth creation will mostly not result in it.

Unmasking ESOP wealth!

Consultant

Welcome to Personal Finance's Private Community

Please share the knowledge you've about these two!

ESOPs vs RSUs

Product Owner

I'm currently a front end dev in an early stage startup, been more than 1.5 years here, joined as a UI dev took up frontend. I've just got ESOPs and wanted to know what do people think. Not thinking of switching right now cuz recession, but does ESOP turn to money often. It'll get vested until 2027 btw.

Got ESOPs. Stay or not?

Frontend Engineer

I am at a VC backed early stage startup. Have been offered Esops.l but have no clue on this.  Can somebody explain to me how can I make money from ESOP by answering these-

1) Do I have to buy them post vesting period? If yes, what amount do I need to pay? Also will there be text on this purchase itself?

2)) When the company buys back from me assuming my vesting was over and I could hold them on, what's the amount I will get? I am assuming it's (no of options * current share price) - (no of options * strike price issued to me). Is that correct? If yes, how is the current share price calculated for non listed company?

3) Now when the company buys these, what's the tax I have to pay? I am trying to understand if availing options and selling options are different and if both have taxes

4) What happens in IPO? Who buys from me? Where can I sell? What price do I sell at?

How exactly does an ESOP buyback work?

Management Consulting

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

I work in a fintech company. Revenue and growth wise we are good, we just got acquired by a large internet platform too. Also, last year has been a tremendous learning for me as well. I like being PM but looking to move out of my current industry (lending) as I want to explore other domains and I feel like my CTC here is somewhat low (18.5 + 1.5 bonus) considering my experience (around 4.5 years). My boss said that I will get ESOPS (around 10 lacs) which I can liquidate around 50% this year. Should I wait for my appraisal to complete (will happen around April) and look to switch or should I start preparing for interviews now itself?

Company is good but CTC pinches

Product Manager

So i got the ESOPs in my current company and now they want me to exercise it as it is mandatory to exercise the ESOP in a certain period of time. What will happen once I exercise it?? Also i am thinking of quitting the company so what will happen to the exercised ESOP if I leave the company??

Please give any resources to understand the complete what, how and when of the ESOPs and general summary regarding it

Can anyone please explain to me the ESOP thing??

Hi, Say a Series B (US) funded startup gives me 3000 shares which are worth $5/share. It follows the usual vesting period of 4 years. Now assume 4 years have passed and all the 3000 shares are vested but the company hasn't gone IPO. 

Here are my quesions

- When exercising US stocks in India, what is the % of withholding tax I should pay?
- Say if I exercised all the shares and if I decide to leave the company do I get to keep those exercised shares with me forever?

I prefer answers from people who have exercised ESOPs before. I don't want answers like "It depends, Talk to your HR or CA". Appreciate any inputs.

Question on US based ESOPs in India

Analyst

Welcome to News Discussion's Private Community

What is the policy for vested esops for employees who have left the company?

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Hi, I have an ESOPs related question. Appreciate any inputs. 

Consider a Series B startup providing an employee with 5000 shares. After 2 years, 2000 shares are vested and exercised by the employee. The stocks were never liquidated because the company didn't conduct buyback nor went IPO. 

Now, assume the company lays off that employee after 2 years,

- Can he still hold the vested and exercised 2000 shares? 
- If yes, then can he sell those stocks during future buyback even if he isn't an employee?
- Will the company provide accelerated vesting for the remaining 3000 shares during layoff? (not mentioned on offer letter)

Question on ESOPs

I am in discussion with some very early stage startup and if things work out then will be part of the founding team. They have promised to give me same salary as the current company’s salary but give ESOP. Is ESOP worth it if you are founding team member?

The founder has sold his previous company so higher chance of success it looks to me.

Is there any case where person made huge money on ESOP?

Are ESOP worth it? Did it make anyone billionaire?

Engineering Manager

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

I have 6 years experience. My current base/fixed is 60 LPA. (I also got a 5 lakh bonus and 5 lakh of my ESOPs vested this year making my total vested about 30 lakh. So the total comp is 70). 

I'm being offered a senior engineer position in an early stage startup (as part of the founding engineer team). They haven't given an offer yet.

Being early stage, the emphasis will most likely be on ESOPs. How do I evaluate this and set my expectations? (If I were to switch to a mature company, I believe the hikes usually are between 15-20%? How does this work for early stage startups?)

Salary expectation at early stage startup

Software Engineer

I had gotten a few shares of a company I used to work for. Unfortunately the time period to exercise the contract is just 90 days after I leave so that means either I have to lose all the shares since I didn't complete the whole vesting schedule or buy it from them!

I wanted to understand how the tax works in a case like this! The company is still not traded so I can't sell the shares but have to buy it and hold it until IPO!

Tax on ESOPs

Founder

Hello guys,
I would want to know what is the benefit of getting ESOPs in an early stage startup?
The startup has a great team and working on a promising product. 
I have been offered a package with somewhat lower fixed component and somewhat higher ESOPs. Need insightful pointers here. TIA :)

Value of ESOPs in early stage startups?

The ESOP is a bit of a blind bet.  
  
 It's paper money that can get you a windfall if all goes to plan and execution, solution, pricing, market readiness amongst other things, all line up over the next few years.  
  
 I wouldn't take a pay cut in lieu of ESOPs.  Keep the real money real and the paper money as an outside bet.

Process to exercise the vested ESOPs.

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