Finance Teams

Granting Equity Globally: What Legal and Finance Need to Know

What Is IFRS 2?

Accounting for the expense associated with equity compensation awards can be daunting, especially to folks who are new to equity compensation or those of us without a background in...

The Journey from Startup to IPO

The lifecycle of a private company is evolving. Over the last two decades, the timeline for companies to seek an entry to the public market has doubled from 6 to 12 years. 2019 has seen...

Shareworks Helps Global Atlantic Financial Group Meet its Evolving Needs.

Creative, dynamic, customized: How automation helped Global Atlantic Financial Group meet its evolving equity compensation needs as a private company.

Present and Accounted For! The Black-Scholes Formula and Present Factors

If your company is like most, once you’ve decided to assign a formal value to your equity compensation awards, you’re probably going to use the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Of course, if...

What Is a Restricted Stock​ Unit? A Primer for the Uninitiated

Companies on the IPO track that have historically only awarded stock options tend to become interested in restricted stock units (RSUs) as the IPO date nears. In this article, we shed light on...

The IPO Strikes Back

Growing a company? Hard. Hiring, motivating and retaining employees? Hard.  Preparing your company for an IPO?  Really hard. Finding the right IPO guidebook? Easy.   Equity administration is...

Private Company Equity Statistics Report 2018

Making intelligent decisions about your company’s equity may be the most important thing you do as private company CFO, CEO, or founder. You and your team’s payout for all of your hard work depends...

A Brief History of Equity Compensation

Equity compensation feels so commonplace in our work cultures that it’s hard to imagine it was ever something new. But it was. And not that long ago, either. Don’t believe us? Gather ’round the...

What is Stock Option Expensing and Do I Need to Do it?

I speak with CEO’s all the time who have this question. I intend to use this post to give a nuanced but in depth answer that can help you determine whether you need to spend the time and money to...

Dilution 101: A Startup Guide to Equity Dilution with Real-World Statistics

Equity dilution is one of the most important topics for any startup executive.   Paul Maeder at Highland Capital Partners often speaks of Christopher Columbus’ voyage as the first great venture...

Top 5 Cap Table Quotes from HBO’s “Silicon Valley”

This week marks the return of Silicon Valley, HBO’s hilariously off-color but poignant take on Palo Alto, startup culture, and all things tech. Silicon Valley is one of cable’s hottest shows, but...

Term Sheets: The Definitive Guide for Entrepreneurs

The term sheet is one of the most important documents a founder will ever encounter. But they don’t teach you about term sheets and cap tables in school. It’s part of the “street smarts” of being...

The Best Cap Table Template Out There And Why It Still Sucks

Where do you start when you need to put together your cap table? We'll give you a template to use as a starting point. But we'll also show you why a cap table spreadsheet will eventually lead to...

What Is Founder-Friendly Stock and Should I Use It in My Startup?

These heady, entrepreneur-friendly times have led to a resurgence of companies issuing founder-friendly stock to their founders. What is founder-friendly stock? Should you consider issuing it to...

10 Cap Table Mistakes That Could Cost You Money

Your cap table holds the key to a big payoff for all your hard work, but there’s a few mistakes that can really cost you. Avoid these pitfalls to help maximize your equity value. We help manage...

Cap Tables 101: The Startup’s Guide to Cap Table Management

Most entrepreneurs know the basics of cap tables… …Or do they? Here are a few key cap table concepts that will help you navigate the journey from inception to exit. What is Cap Table Management?...

NSO vs. ISO – What’s the Difference?

We’re frequently asked about the differences between ISOs and NSOs. Let us try to clear up some confusion. Stock option grants are the lifeblood of Capshare – I estimate that about 3 out of every...