Slicing Pie Handbook: Perfectly Fair Equity Splits for Bootstrapped Startups
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Book Overview
Bad equity deals are the rule, not the exception.
Founders often divide ownership too early-before they know who will contribute what, who will stay, or whether the company will succeed. A fixed equity split based on promises and predictions can quickly become unfair.
The Slicing Pie Handbook provides a practical alternative: a dynamic equity model that adjusts over time based on what each participant actually puts at risk.
Inside, you'll learn how to:
- Calculate a fair ownership share for every founder and contributor
- Value unpaid time, cash, equipment, supplies, relationships, ideas, and other contributions
- Adjust ownership as individual contributions change
- Handle equity fairly when someone leaves the company
- Repair or replace an existing equity agreement that no longer reflects reality
- Explain the model to cofounders, employees, investors, lawyers, and accountants
The Slicing Pie model gives startup teams a clear framework for allocating equity without relying on arbitrary percentages, premature negotiations, or constant renegotiation. It is designed for bootstrapped and early-stage companies whose participants contribute before they receive full market-rate compensation.
The book includes detailed instructions for both allocating equity while the company grows and recovering equity when a participant separates from the team.
Written by entrepreneur, investor, and entrepreneurship educator Mike Moyer, The Slicing Pie Handbook builds on a model used by startup teams around the world. The foreword is by Noam Wasserman, author of The Founder's Dilemmas.
If you are starting a company, joining an early-stage team, or struggling with an equity split that no longer feels fair, this book will show you a more logical way forward.
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