Team & Culture
Best-in-class compensation, benefits, and culture = attract top 1% talent
Employee Equity Pool
10% of company reserved for employees from Day 1
Not an afterthought. Not a "we'll figure it out later." Built into the cap table before we even hire.
Equity Allocation Structure
| Role | Equity Range | Typical Grant | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Founder / CTO | 2.0% - 4.0% | 3.0% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
| VP Engineering | 1.0% - 2.0% | 1.5% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
| Senior Engineer (early) | 0.25% - 0.75% | 0.5% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
| Mid-Level Engineer | 0.1% - 0.3% | 0.2% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
| Junior Engineer | 0.05% - 0.15% | 0.1% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
| Non-Engineering (Senior) | 0.1% - 0.5% | 0.25% | 4yr vest, 1yr cliff |
What Does This Mean?
If TheSixNines exits at $3B valuation (our Series B target, Year 2):
- Senior Engineer with 0.5%: $15M
- Mid-Level Engineer with 0.2%: $6M
- Junior Engineer with 0.1%: $3M
If we IPO at $30B valuation (Year 3-4 target):
- Senior Engineer with 0.5%: $150M
- Mid-Level Engineer with 0.2%: $60M
- Junior Engineer with 0.1%: $30M
Translation: Join us early = generational wealth potential, not just "nice to have" equity
Annual Profit Sharing
10% of company profits distributed to employees every December
First week of December. Like clockwork. Everyone who's been here 3+ months participates.
How It Works
Profit Share Pool Calculation
Formula: 10% of annual net profit
Distribution: Based on a points system
- Base points = tenure (1 point per month worked)
- Role multiplier (IC: 1x, Senior: 1.5x, Lead: 2x, VP: 3x)
- Performance multiplier (0.8x - 1.2x based on reviews)
Example Scenarios
Year 1 (MVP + Launch)
Company Profit: $2M (conservative, mostly paper money phase)
Employee Pool: $200k
Team Size: 10 people
Average Payout: ~$20k per person
Year 2 (Real Money Scaling)
Company Profit: $150M
Employee Pool: $15M
Team Size: 50 people
Average Payout: $300k per person
Senior Engineer Example (Year 2):
- Base points: 24 months = 24 points
- Senior multiplier: 1.5x = 36 points
- Performance (strong): 1.1x = 39.6 points
- Payout: ~$380k bonus
Total Year 2 Compensation: $180k base + $380k profit share = $560k
Year 3 (Global Expansion)
Company Profit: $960M (18B revenue, ~53% margin after costs)
Employee Pool: $96M
Team Size: 100 people
Average Payout: $960k per person
Senior Engineer Example (Year 3):
- Base points: 36 months = 36 points
- Senior multiplier: 1.5x = 54 points
- Performance (strong): 1.1x = 59.4 points
- Payout: ~$1.14M bonus
Total Year 3 Compensation: $200k base + $1.14M profit share = $1.34M
Why This Matters
Alignment
Everyone wins when the company wins
No tension between profit and employees
We're all on the same team
Retention
Why leave when you're getting $500k+ bonuses?
Annual payout creates "golden handcuffs"
Best talent stays for the long term
Motivation
Ship faster = higher profits = bigger bonus
Everyone acts like an owner (because they are)
No bureaucracy, just results
Transparency
Profit numbers shared quarterly
Bonus formula is public internally
Everyone knows where they stand
Comprehensive Benefits
Philosophy: Match or beat FAANG on every benefit. No compromises.
Health & Wellness
| Benefit | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Insurance | 100% employee, 75% dependents | PPO + HMO options, $0 deductible plan available |
| Dental & Vision | 100% employee, 75% dependents | Includes orthodontics, LASIK coverage |
| Mental Health | Unlimited therapy sessions | Talkspace, BetterHelp, in-person options |
| Gym Membership | $100/month reimbursement | Any gym, yoga, martial arts, etc. |
| HSA Contribution | $3k/year employer match | Tax-advantaged savings |
Time Off & Flexibility
- Unlimited PTO (minimum 4 weeks encouraged)
- 26 weeks paid parental leave (both parents, adoption included)
- Sabbatical program (3 months paid every 5 years)
- Remote-first (work from anywhere)
- Flexible hours (no mandatory core hours)
- 4-day work week trials (team-by-team experimentation)
Financial & Retirement
| Benefit | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k) Match | 100% up to $10k/year | Immediate vesting |
| Student Loan Repayment | $500/month | Up to $50k lifetime |
| Financial Coaching | Free 1-on-1 sessions | Certified financial planners |
| Crypto Wallet Stipend | $1k in USDC | On hire, to learn our product |
Learning & Development
- $10k/year tuition reimbursement (any courses, degrees, certifications)
- Conference budget ($5k/year, any industry conference)
- Book stipend ($100/month, any books)
- Professional development (coaching, mentorship programs)
- Internal education (weekly tech talks, lunch & learns)
Equipment & Home Office
- $5k equipment budget (laptop, monitors, desk, chair, etc.)
- $200/month home office stipend (internet, co-working, coffee shops)
- Latest hardware (M3 MacBook Pro, or equivalent)
- Ergonomic assessments (free consultation)
Perks & Extras
- Annual company retreat (all expenses paid, international destination)
- Team offsites (quarterly, team-bonding activities)
- Relocation assistance ($10k if moving for role)
- Pet insurance ($50/month reimbursement)
- Commuter benefits ($300/month transit or parking)
- Free lunch/dinner ($25/day DoorDash/Uber Eats credit for in-office or remote)
Culture & Values
Core Values
🎯 Ship Fast, Learn Faster
Bias toward action
Iteration over perfection
Fail fast, fix faster
🤝 Default to Transparency
Share numbers openly
No hidden agendas
Trust through openness
💪 Own Your Outcomes
Take responsibility
No blame culture
We win or lose as a team
🧠 Customer Obsession
Users first, always
Win-first philosophy
Build products we're proud of
🚀 Think Global
Build for the world
Diverse perspectives win
No local optimizations
⚖️ Ethics > Profits
Never compromise integrity
Responsible gaming first
Long-term reputation matters
Work Environment
- Remote-first, async-friendly: Optimize for deep work, not meetings
- No politics, no BS: Direct feedback, skip hierarchy when needed
- High trust, high autonomy: Treat everyone like adults
- Experimentation encouraged: Try new things, test hypotheses
- Diversity & inclusion: Actively recruit from underrepresented groups
- No crunch culture: Sustainable pace, marathon not sprint
Career Growth
- Dual-track ladder: IC (Individual Contributor) and Management paths equally valued
- Quarterly reviews: Regular feedback, no surprises
- Internal mobility: Move teams, try new roles, explore
- Mentorship program: Every new hire gets a mentor
- Promotion from within: 80%+ of leadership hired internally
Team Structure by Phase
Phase 1: Founding Team (Months 1-3)
Size: 5-7 people
| Role | Equity | Base Salary | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTO / Co-Founder | 3.0% | $180k | Tech vision, architecture, early engineering |
| Senior Fullstack x2 | 0.5% each | $160k | Frontend, backend, deploy MVP |
| Backend Engineer | 0.4% | $150k | Settlement engine, bots, API |
| Designer | 0.3% | $120k | UI/UX, branding, visual identity |
| Product Manager | 0.4% | $140k | Roadmap, user stories, priorities |
Total equity allocated: ~5.6% of employee pool
Phase 2: Real Money Launch (Months 4-6)
Size: 12 people (+5 from Phase 1)
New Hires:
- +2 Backend Engineers (blockchain, payments) — 0.3% each
- +1 Security Engineer — 0.4%
- +1 Compliance Officer — 0.25%
- +2 Customer Support — 0.1% each
Phase 3: Scale (Months 7-12)
Size: 25 people (+13 from Phase 2)
New Hires:
- VP Engineering — 1.5%
- +2 Mobile Engineers (iOS, Android) — 0.3% each
- +2 Backend Engineers — 0.2% each
- +1 Data Engineer — 0.25%
- +5 Customer Support — 0.08% each
- +1 Community Manager — 0.15%
- +1 Marketing Lead — 0.3%
Phase 4: Global (Year 2+)
Size: 100+ people
Department Breakdown:
- Engineering: 40 people
- Customer Support: 30 people
- Compliance/Legal: 10 people
- Marketing: 10 people
- Operations: 10 people
Competitive Advantage
TheSixNines vs. Traditional Startups
| Aspect | Typical Startup | TheSixNines |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Pool | 5-8% (added later) | 10% (from day 1) |
| Profit Sharing | None | 10% of profits annually |
| Health Insurance | 80% employee, 50% dependents | 100% employee, 75% dependents |
| PTO | 15 days/year | Unlimited (4+ weeks encouraged) |
| Parental Leave | 12 weeks (primary caregiver only) | 26 weeks (both parents) |
| 401k Match | 3-4% | 100% up to $10k/year |
| Learning Budget | $1-2k/year | $10k/year tuition + $5k conferences |
TheSixNines vs. FAANG
| Aspect | FAANG | TheSixNines |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $180k - $250k | $160k - $200k (but...) |
| Equity Upside | RSUs (stable, mature companies) | Early-stage equity (10x-100x potential) |
| Annual Bonus | 10-20% of base | Profit sharing (potentially $500k+) |
| Benefits | Best-in-class | Match or beat FAANG |
| Impact | Small cog in big machine | Huge impact, own features end-to-end |
| Bureaucracy | Meetings, politics, slow | Ship fast, no BS, direct feedback |
| Career Growth | Competitive, slow promotions | Promote from within, fast growth |
The TheSixNines Advantage:
FAANG benefits + Startup equity/impact + Profit sharing = Best of all worlds
Year 3 total comp for Senior Engineer: $200k base + $1.14M profit share = $1.34M/year
Plus equity worth potentially $15M-$150M at exit
Why Top Talent Will Choose Us
💰 Life-Changing Money
Equity + profit sharing = generational wealth
Not just "comfortable", but "retire your parents" money
🚀 Rocket Ship Growth
$30M Y1 → $18B Y3
Fastest-growing company you'll ever work at
Resume-defining experience
🎯 Massive Impact
Own features end-to-end
Ship to millions of users globally
Your code = direct revenue impact
🧠 Cutting-Edge Tech
Blockchain, edge computing, real-time systems
Solve hard problems at scale
Work with latest technologies
🌍 Global Mission
Build for the world, not just one country
1B+ potential users
True global impact
⚖️ Ethical Foundation
Win-first philosophy
Help users succeed
Build product you're proud of
Hiring Philosophy
What We Look For
- Builders: Love to ship, get things done
- Ownership mentality: Act like an owner (because you are)
- Fast learners: Adapt quickly, embrace change
- Global mindset: Think beyond your local market
- Ethical compass: Integrity over shortcuts
- User empathy: Care deeply about customer experience
- Low ego: Collaborate, give credit, receive feedback
What We Don't Care About
- Your degree (or lack thereof)
- Which companies you've worked at
- Your LeetCode score
- Years of experience (talent > tenure)
- Where you live (fully remote)
Interview Process
- Application: No cover letter, just link your work (GitHub, portfolio, etc.)
- Technical Screen: 45-min coding (real-world problem, no trick questions)
- System Design: 1-hour discussion (how would you build X?)
- Team Fit: 30-min chat with potential teammates
- Values Interview: 30-min discussion about ethics, culture fit
- Offer: Decision within 48 hours
Total time: 1 week from application to offer
Join Us
We're building the future of market prediction.
This is your chance to join a rocket ship before it takes off.
Equity pool is limited. Early employees get the best deals.
If you're reading this deck, you're early.
Interested? Email: careers@thesixnines.com
Include: Resume + GitHub + "Why TheSixNines?"