Splitting equity equally is rarely fair. Weigh each founder's time commitment, capital, idea, expertise, responsibilities, and risk to reach a split you can both defend — free and private, nothing leaves your browser.
| Factor | ||
|---|---|---|
Time commitment Full-time vs part-time, and opportunity cost of the time given. Weight: 25 | ||
Capital invested Cash or equivalent each founder puts into the company. Weight: 20 | ||
Idea & IP Who originated the idea and contributes core intellectual property. Weight: 15 | ||
Expertise & skills Domain knowledge and skills critical to building the product. Weight: 15 | ||
Responsibilities Scope of the role and ongoing operational ownership. Weight: 15 | ||
Risk taken Personal and financial risk, e.g. leaving a stable job first. Weight: 10 |
Score each founder 0-10 per factor. Percentages update live and always total 100%.
Each founder rates themselves 0-10 on six weighted contribution factors. For every factor, your share is your score divided by the founders' total, multiplied by the factor's weight. The results are normalized so they always add up to 100%.
Use it as a structured starting point for the conversation, not a verdict. The hardest part of a split is agreeing on the inputs.
Equity is a 5-10 year commitment. Make sure you actually work well together first: test your cofounder compatibility across 8 startup-specific dimensions, then lock the terms in a written agreement.
This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. Equity decisions should be reviewed with a qualified professional and formalized in a proper agreement.