š„ Founder Compensation Benchmark, Unicorn Patterns, Equity for Advisors, Who Owns KPIs & More
Digesting Insights From the Data
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How Much Do Founders Get Paid?
A recent report by our friends at Creandum reveals that startup founder salaries across Europe increased in 2024 compared to 2023, with notable variations by country and funding stage. Amy Levin at Sifted provides a great summary:
French Founders Lead: French founders experienced a 60% salary increase, averaging ā¬124k, surpassing their UK counterparts who averaged ā¬107k.
Funding Stage Impact: Median founder salaries rose with funding progression: ā¬85k at seed, ā¬120k at Series A, and ā¬159k at Series B.
Bonuses Resurgence: 23% of founders received bonuses in 2024, with the highest at ā¬680k; 45% of Series B founders received bonuses, up from 19% in 2023.
āļø KEY TAKEAWAYS
The data indicates a positive trend in founder compensation across Europe, with significant increases in both salaries and bonuses, particularly in France and at advanced funding stages.
How Unicorn Founders Chart Their Paths to Success
A new unicorn report by Stanford Professor Ilya Strebulaev sheds light on the professional experiences that pave the way for founders of billion-dollar startups. By analyzing their patterns, the report uncovers the roles, companies, and career trajectories that are associated with unicorn-level success.
Serial Entrepreneurship: 39% of unicorn founders had prior startup experience, and 60% of unicorns have at least one serial entrepreneur on their founding team. The trend is accelerating: 42% of post-2008 unicorn founders are serial entrepreneurs compared to 34% pre-2008.
Launchpads of Innovation: Top companies and institutions where unicorn founders previously worked include Google (96 founders), Microsoft (64), and Stanford University (43). IBM, MIT, and other innovation hubs also make the list.
Persistence Pays Off: 60% of founders struck gold on their first startup attempt, but 40% needed multiple tries: 25% succeeded on the second attempt, 9% on the third, and 6% after four or more tries.
āļø KEY TAKEAWAYS
The unicorn journey is often defined by prior experience in tech-heavy roles, networks, and the resilience of repeated attempts.