Can levels.fyi stop showing non-liquid pre-IPO startup equity as part of total comp please?
You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to get liquidity for that stuff, often there are limits to the amount you can liquidate, some can't sell on private marketplace, some can only sell every once in a blue moon event, etc. This is all without mentioning that the "valuation" itself is typically pretty speculative.
Levels.fyi is treating this equity the same as public company RSUs, which is not the same at all.
How do you think it should be treated? I think at the individual granular data point level adding a tag or note about the equity not being immediately liquid is a good start. But I don't think it'd be a good idea to weigh the stock differently since that can depend on so many things. For example SpaceX and some other private companies do offer regular liquidity and I would consider their equity close to liquid.
Appreciate the feedback though, and definitely agree we can work on how we display the data and make it more clear.
1. Salary (straightforward, on regular schedule, and you'll get it)
2. Bonuses and RSUs (various vesting rules, and ways you can never see it)
3. Startup stock and (worse) stock options (probably worthless, vesting rules, and you might need an advisor to make sure you don't exercise and come out with a big negative)
You'd be surprised at how difficult it is to get liquidity for that stuff, often there are limits to the amount you can liquidate, some can't sell on private marketplace, some can only sell every once in a blue moon event, etc. This is all without mentioning that the "valuation" itself is typically pretty speculative.
Levels.fyi is treating this equity the same as public company RSUs, which is not the same at all.