Co-founders, team & legal

What happens to equity if a co-founder leaves early?

With vesting done right, they keep only what they've earned and the unvested portion returns to the company, which is exactly why vesting exists. Without it, a departing co-founder can hold a huge dead-weight stake that scares off investors and future hires. This one clause is the difference between a survivable breakup and a company-killing one.

Go deeper

2 resources, 2 link-checked.

🛠️ Tool
✓ Link checked Freemium Advanced

The canonical dynamic-equity framework for fairly splitting ownership based on real contributions before funding, when nobody yet knows who'll do what. A strong mental model even if you convert to fixed equity later.

Slicing Pie: Dynamic Equity Split Model & Calculator

From slicingpie.com by Mike Moyer Framework + software + handbook

  • Allocate equity by actual contributions (time, money, ideas, relationships), not day-one guesses
  • Prevents the classic trap of permanent decisions made on temporary information
  • Best used pre-funding, then converted to fixed equity plus vesting at incorporation
Open slicingpie.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked India Free Advanced

A detailed, clause-by-clause drafting guide with Indian legal context, including enforceability and state-wise stamp duty, that goes deeper than a generic template. Written for Indian founders specifically.

Co-Founder Agreements in India 2026: A Comprehensive Drafting Guide

From lawsikho.com by LawSikho Long read

  • Enforceable under the Indian Contract Act only if properly executed and stamped
  • Must-have clauses include vesting, leaver provisions, IP assignment, and deadlock resolution
  • Stamp duty varies by state, so localize the document
Open lawsikho.com →

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