Hustler Words – The battle for talent is fiercer than ever, with startups facing an uphill climb against tech giants boasting seemingly limitless compensation budgets. As companies like Meta and OpenAI dangle million-dollar salaries amidst the AI frenzy, the compensation gap has widened, leaving early-stage startups feeling outgunned.
However, industry experts and founders speaking at the Hustler Words Disrupt 2025 event offered a beacon of hope: startups can still attract top talent by crafting compensation strategies that prioritize generosity, fairness, and flexibility.
Yin Wu, co-founder and CEO of equity management software Pulley, emphasized that startups shouldn’t even attempt to directly compete with the salary packages offered by established tech behemoths. She argued that startups and large corporations naturally attract different types of candidates. Instead, Wu advocated for a generous approach to compensation, especially when it comes to equity.
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"My strong opinion is that you should be more generous than you think you should be with equity," Wu stated. She believes that successful startups are unlikely to regret offering substantial equity to early employees who contributed to the company’s growth.
Randi Jakubowitz, Head of Talent at 645 Ventures, echoed this sentiment. She advised startups to set clear, measurable goals for new hires, ensuring that their performance justifies the compensation they receive. Jakubowitz also stressed the importance of understanding vesting schedules and acting decisively if an employee underperforms. "Make sure there’s very clear accountability," she emphasized, highlighting the risk of losing equity if underperforming employees become fully vested.
The panelists also emphasized the importance of establishing a fair foundation for compensation and equity strategies from the outset. While adjustments can be made later, a fair initial approach helps avoid legal complications and internal conflicts.
For Pulley, this meant implementing a standardized compensation framework with set ranges for each role, regardless of the employee’s location. The company also consistently offers equity packages in the 90th percentile. According to Wu, this framework has enabled Pulley to scale effectively, ensuring consistent equity distribution as the company’s valuation grows.
Rebecca Lee Whiting, founder of Epigram Legal and fractional general counsel, added that standardized compensation practices can help companies avoid legal pitfalls, such as unequal pay across genders, which is illegal in states like California.
Ultimately, Whiting, Wu, and Jakubowitz agreed that a foundation of fairness is key. As long as founders approach compensation with fair intentions, adjustments can be made as the company evolves.
"Think about who you’re trying to hire and what will incentivize them to take that offer," Whiting advised. "It’s okay if you don’t get it perfect initially. You’ll likely have to clean up post-Series B, but don’t try to get it perfect when you’re hiring your first few people."
This article is based on discussions at Hustler Words Disrupt 2025, held in San Francisco from October 13-15, 2026.
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