Equity & cap table guides.
2815 plain-English guides on stock options, vesting, 409A valuations, SAFEs, and cap table basics — written for the specific person asking, not a generic definition.
409(a) Valuation: The Short Answer
409(a) valuation, in one paragraph: what it is, who needs one, and where to go next depending on whether you're asking about cost, timing, or process.
Strike Price vs. Fair Market Value
What strike price vs fair market value means for your startup's cap table, why strike price vs fair market value guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Pre vs. Post Money Safe
What pre vs post money safe means for your startup's cap table, why pre vs post money safe guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
What is a Post Money Safe
What a post money safe means for your startup's cap table, why what is a post money safe guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
Pre-money Safe vs. Post-money Safe
What pre-money safe vs post-money safe means for your startup's cap table, why pre-money safe vs post-money safe guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Pro Rata Rights Venture Capital
What pro rata rights venture capital means for your startup's cap table, why pro rata rights venture capital guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Grant Price vs. Strike Price
What grant price vs strike price means for your startup's cap table, why grant price vs strike price guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and.
Series C Funding to Ipo
What series c funding to ipo means for your startup's cap table, why series c funding to ipo guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
What is a Tear Sheet in Business
What a tear sheet in business means for your startup's cap table, why what is a tear sheet in business guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and.
How to Calculate Stock Based Compensation Expense
What how to calculate stock based compensation expense means for your startup's cap table, why how to calculate stock based compensation expense guide.
How to Calculate Number of Equity Shares
What how to calculate number of equity shares means for your startup's cap table, why how to calculate number of equity shares guide matters, and how.
What is Single Trigger Acceleration
What single trigger acceleration means for your startup's cap table, why what is single trigger acceleration guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
How Many Series Before Ipo
What how many series before ipo means for your startup's cap table, why how many series before ipo guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and.
When to Exercise Iso Stock Options
What when to exercise iso stock options means for your startup's cap table, why when to exercise iso stock options matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Why Do Companies Issue Warrants
What why do companies issue warrants means for your startup's cap table, why why do companies issue warrants guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
What Does Exercise an Option Mean
What what does exercise an option mean means for your startup's cap table, why what does exercise an option mean guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Sweat Equity Meaning in Business
What sweat equity meaning in business means for your startup's cap table, why sweat equity meaning in business guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
What is an Equity Program
What an equity program means for your startup's cap table, why what is an equity program guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
Difference Between Options and Warrants
What difference between options and warrants means for your startup's cap table, why difference between options and warrants guide matters, and how.
Strike Price vs. Grant Price
What strike price vs grant price means for your startup's cap table, why strike price vs grant price guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and.
Founders hiring internationally or fully remoteHiring Internationally? Here's Why ISOs Aren't an Option
Hiring outside the U.S.? ISOs don't exist under most tax codes — here's why your international team can only get NSOs, and how to structure it.
Options Strike Price vs. Exercise Price
What options strike price vs exercise price means for your startup's cap table, why options strike price vs exercise price guide matters, and how Lovie.
How to Start a Startup
What how to start a startup means for your startup's cap table, why how to start a startup guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
Exercise Price vs. Strike Price
What exercise price vs strike price means for your startup's cap table, why exercise price vs strike price guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation.
Restricted Stock Units vs. Stock Options
What restricted stock units vs stock options means for your startup's cap table, why restricted stock units vs stock options matters, and how Lovie.
How to Setup a Company
What how to setup a company means for your startup's cap table, why how to setup a company guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
Founders setting a company-wide default policyShould Your Company's Default Equity Plan Use ISOs or NSOs?
This isn't a personal tax question — it's a company policy one. Here's how founders decide their default equity plan: ISO, NSO, or both.
Pre-money Valuation Cap
What pre-money valuation cap means for your startup's cap table, why pre-money valuation cap guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and equity in.
Fair Market Value vs. Strike Price
What fair market value vs strike price means for your startup's cap table, why fair market value vs strike price guide matters, and how Lovie keeps.
Equity Shares With Detachable Warrants
What equity shares with detachable warrants means for your startup's cap table, why equity shares with detachable warrants guide matters, and how Lovie.
Fmv Lower Than Strike Price
What fmv lower than strike price means for your startup's cap table, why fmv lower than strike price guide matters, and how Lovie keeps formation and.
Accountants and bookkeepersHow ISO and NSO Grants Hit Your Financial Statements
How do ISO and NSO grants hit your financial statements under ASC 718? Here's the expense-timing difference accountants need to book correctly.
Founders and early employees considering an early exerciseEarly Exercise: What Actually Differs Between ISO and NSO
Considering an early exercise? The 83(b) election deadline is identical for ISOs and NSOs, but AMT exposure isn't. Here's what actually differs.
Employees trying to estimate their actual personal tax billNSO vs. ISO: A Worked Example of the Actual Tax Bill
Same grant, two different tax bills — here's a worked numeric example showing exactly how NSO and ISO taxation differs, so you can run your own numbers.
Founders encountering the term for the first timeWhat is a Cap Table
What is a cap table explained for founders: the broad, canonical definition every other page here links back to, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
Any business owner, not just a VC-backed startupWhat is a Cap Table in Business
What is a cap table in business explained for founders: cap tables outside the venture-funded context — LLCs, small businesses, family companies, plus.
Someone handed a cap table and needs to interpret itHow to Read a Cap Table
How to read a cap table explained for founders: a general literacy skill: what each column and row means, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
A quick-answer search, not a deep diveWhat is a Cap Table
What is a cap table explained for founders: the shortest correct answer, with links to the deeper guides, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
Someone asking about the ongoing discipline, not the documentWhat is Cap Table Management
What is cap table management explained for founders: management as a practice — updating, reconciling, reporting, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
Someone using the formal term, possibly from a legal or finance documentWhat is a Capitalization Table
What is a capitalization table explained for founders: whether 'capitalization table' and 'cap table' are really the same thing, plus how Lovie keeps.
Founders modeling a future round before it happensWhat is a Pro Forma Cap Table
What is a pro forma cap table explained for founders: a forward-looking planning tool, not a record of what already happened, plus how Lovie keeps.
A finance student or professional placing the term in a broader disciplineWhat is a Cap Table in Finance
What is a cap table in finance explained for founders: where cap tables sit inside corporate finance generally, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
Someone looking for THE single source of truth for their companyWhat is the Cap Table
What is the cap table explained for founders: the cap table as an official system of record, not a concept, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
A visual learner who wants to see the columns and rowsWhat Does a Cap Table Look Like
What does a cap table look like explained for founders: a literal walkthrough of the layout, not just the theory, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
A pre-seed, idea-stage founder — before any fundingWhat is Cap Table for a Startup
What is cap table for a startup explained for founders: why this matters starting Day 0, before you've raised a cent, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
A one-line terminology lookupWhat Does Cap Table Mean
What does cap table mean explained for founders: the shortest possible definition of the term itself, plus how Lovie keeps it connected to formation.
Someone curious about the mechanics, not the paperworkHow Does a Cap Table Work
How does a cap table work explained for founders: how ownership percentages actually shift as rounds happen, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.
Someone who learns better from a worked exampleExample of a Cap Table
Example of a cap table explained for founders: a realistic, detailed numeric walkthrough for one company, plus how Lovie keeps it connected.