Equity Build Mode: Compensation, culture, and cap tables with Yuri Sagalov, GeneralCatalyst
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Feb 21, 2026 Yuri Sagalov, Managing Director at General Catalyst and former YC partner, shares startup playbook wisdom. He breaks down cap table design, the three investor types to watch, how much seed dilution is healthy, and why early hires deserve bigger equity. Short, practical conversations on co-founder splits, compensation conversations, and when to scale.
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Choose Investors Who Help, Not Meddle
- Avoid investors who meddle and stress you; they harm early-stage companies more than help.
- Talk to a fund's portfolio founders to verify how supportive and realistic an investor is.
Keep Co-Founder Splits Nearly Equal
- Split founder equity close to equal to keep long-term alignment and avoid resentment.
- Use tiny share differences (±1 share) to break deadlocks while keeping parity.
Generous Equity For Early Hires
- Be generous with equity for your first two or three hires to lock in culture and long-term retention.
- Give something meaningful (e.g., ~2%) rather than tiny fractions that won't incentivize longevity.