First Paid Employee (Minimum wage and 30% commissions)Senior Sales AE with 2% of common stock tied to time & other 3% based on milestone objectives... In 5 months I helped contribute to 11 new revenue-generating partners and 300% growth. Company valuation was 3.25 million now 4.2 after dilution to keep runway for business.
Right now I'm renegotiating and when I started I thought I was being Tee'd up for Sales Director. I then had to create my own job description, start mapping our sales playbook and a case study so he can take it to the board (3-4 people) and pitch it to them for approval. COO was on board with me getting 9.7% additional and a seat at the table given what I bring in value, and my responsbilities. CEO, however, comes up with a bunch of reasons/"what ifs" as to why I'm not fully qualified due to age "but I'm capable given my education/experience in past roles and managing reps". He claims he has to justify to future investors about someone of my experience and age why I have that equity. So I have to continue to create executive-level work, Pump CRM numbers with no promise I'll get the comp I want or my deferred comissions. He said startups pay under market rate as well and I'll have to be ok that I probably won't get market rate exactly.
We had a down-round slightly and I got diluted to 3.9% already in my first 4-5 months even with hitting all my objectives due to the founders dropping the ball. They deferred my commissions worth several thousand now.
I am asking for a refresh and an additional 9.7%, they want me to forgo commissions completely which if I was on target for goals set for me, we would get funded for seed & I'd make 300k with salary/comissions.
Am I being unreasonable? I also have 1-year cliff & 4-year vest.. New offer would be split between time and "progression milestones" using a VC matrix for SaaS in which those shares would vest at time of completion.
Feels like he keeps putting it off, and says I have to continue to give it my all when I'm uncertain if I'll have anything to show for it. They deferred my salary 3-4 months, and commissions which might even be thrown off the table.
What are your thoughts, how do I value myself and is what I'm asking fair given opportunity cost, what I'm giving up, and basically my contributions?
P.S
They failed previously in the enterprise, brought me on when they switch to new channel and in that time with no marketing, barely any sales enablement tools, and paying out of pocket for my own business development tools.
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