Offers + Turndowns Guide

Making Offers

Making a compelling offer to a candidate for an early-stage tough tech startup requires more than just a salary and equity number. It’s about selling the mission, momentum, and meaning — and doing it with clarity and confidence. Here are some tips to making a great offer that lands top-tier candidates:

  • Understand What They Value: Before making the offer, you should know if they are they more motivated by equity upside, technical challenge, mission impact, or personal growth? Do they care about stability, salary, location flexibility, IP ownership, etc.? Use this to tailor your offer and pitch.

  • Make It Personal and Direct Don’t send the first offer over email alone. Instead, call or meet them in person. Lead with excitement and clarity:
    “We’re thrilled at the thought of you joining. Here’s why we believe you’re a perfect fit and how you’ll move the needle.” Then follow up with a clean written offer letter.

  • Include the Full Offer Package which should include:

    • Title & Role Make it meaningful, not inflated.

    • SalaryBe transparent — even if it's lean.

    • EquityInclude number of shares, % ownership, and vesting schedule. Show projected value at different exit scenarios.

    • BenefitsHealth, PTO, remote policy, visa support, etc.

    • Team & TimelineWho they’ll work with, start date, ramp-up plan.

    • Pro Tip: Include a brief 1-pager on the company’s mission, market, traction, and what the next 12–18 months look like.

  • Sell the Vision: You’re building something bold and risky — that’s the draw. In your offer conversation, convey why this tech matters, why now is the inflection point., why they are the missing piece.

  • Invite Conversation, Not Just a Yes/No Avoid “take it or leave it” tone. Instead have a conversation like: “I’d love to walk you through the offer and talk through any questions or thoughts you have — this is a two-way decision.” This shows respect and opens the door to alignment, not negotiation posturing.

Try to avoid using vague terms, overhyping, making the offer feel like a favor - or having delayed follow-up. Be responsive and professional to demonstrate how you will treat this new hire when they’re on your team. It’s always nice to send a personal note or a message from the team and to connect them to other teammates or investors to seal the deal.

Communicating Turndowns

Close the loop as quickly as you have conviction on a candidate in order to be respectful of them and their time. Aim to keep the communication brief and positive. Be careful about how much feedback you offer and what you say because it can open the door for liability. Despite how much you want to help them with their career and next steps, critical or constructive feedback often backfires leaving candidates less positive about you and your startup. The goal is for everyone who interacts with your team to feel like you were top-notch and professional.

Example Turndown Communication:

"Thank you so much for applying for the [role] at our company. We were overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the pool for this opportunity. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a spot at this time and wish you the very best with your search."

“ Thank you again for taking the time to speak with our team and for your interest in [Company Name]. We appreciated the opportunity to learn about your background, your passion for [mention something specific], and your interest in the mission we're pursuing. After careful consideration, we've decided to move forward with other candidates for this role. This was not an easy decision — we had to make some tough calls, and this came down to the specific needs of the team at this stage. We truly enjoyed getting to know you and are grateful for the thought and energy you brought to the process. Please don’t hesitate to stay in touch or reach out if there’s anything we can do to support you — and we hope our paths cross again down the line. Wishing you all the best in your next step.”