Interactive 9-stage walkthrough of startup equity mechanics, from founding through IPO, covering SAFEs, option pools, dilution, vesting, and exits.
Key Takeaways
Covers the full equity lifecycle: SAFE rounds, option pool creation, dilution events, vesting schedules, and exit payouts in sequence.
Designed as a decision-based journey so learners see how each financing choice compounds into later ownership percentages.
Targets employees and founders evaluating offers or grants, not just theoretical knowledge of cap table math.
Hosted on PythonAnywhere; lightweight and accessible without signup.
Hacker News Comment Review
Commenters broadly agree the tool is useful for employees new to equity but flag several material omissions: authorized vs. issued share distinction is missing, which affects percentage calculations meaningfully.
Preferred overhang is a significant gap: in most acquisition outcomes, common stockholders (employees) receive nothing because liquidation preferences and participating preferred shares absorb the payout first.
Skepticism about accuracy ran high, with one commenter calling out “so many erroneous statements” and questioning whether it qualifies as a game at all given its linear structure.
Notable Comments
@mikert89: Offers a blunt decision tree: equity is likely worth something only for AI labs with known founders, CEO-founders, or companies near a certain IPO; “all other cases likely zero.”
@nerdsniper: Calls for adding preferred overhang scenarios across acquisition exit sizes to show how employee common stock gets wiped out in practice.
