Team, Co-founders & Legal

What is vesting and why do I need a vesting schedule?

A starting point

Vesting means you earn your shares over time (the standard is 4 years with a 1-year cliff) instead of owning them all on day one. It's the single most important protection you have: if a co-founder quits after three months, they don't walk away with a third of your company. Put it in place for every founder, including yourself, before there's any conflict.

Go deeper

Read

📄 Article
India Free Intermediate

Co-Founder Agreement India 2026: Equity, Vesting & IP Guide

From vakilsearch.com by Vakilsearch Long read

Why we picked it

A practical India-specific walkthrough of equity split, vesting, and IP clauses in a co-founder agreement, from a mainstream Indian legal services provider. It covers what a US template will miss.

  • Standard vesting is 4 years with a 1-year cliff, applied to every founder
  • Assign all IP to the company in writing from the start
  • Cover roles, decision-making, deadlock, and exit, not just percentages
Open vakilsearch.com →
📄 Article
India Free Advanced

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

From lawsikho.com by LawSikho Long read

Why we picked it

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.

  • 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
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Use

🛠️ Tool
Freemium Advanced

Slicing Pie: Dynamic Equity Split Model & Calculator

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

Why we picked it

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.

  • 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 →

People also ask

How should co-founders split equity fairly? For most early teams, split close to equal, an even split signals you see each other as true partners, and long-term contribution rarely matches wh... Beginner 3 resources → Should I use a dynamic equity split like Slicing Pie instead of fixed percentages? Dynamic models like Slicing Pie allocate equity based on actual contributions over time, which is genuinely fairer at the pre-funding grunt stage w... Advanced 3 resources → What must go into a co-founder / founders' agreement in India? Cover equity split, vesting and leaver clauses, roles and time commitment, IP assignment to the company, decision-making and deadlock resolution, a... Intermediate 3 resources → How much equity should I set aside for an ESOP pool for employees? Carve out roughly 10-15% for an option pool before you raise, so early hires get real ownership without diluting you unexpectedly later. In India, ... Advanced 3 resources → 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. W... Intermediate 3 resources → What legal setup do I need beyond incorporation (IP, contracts, compliance)? Assign all IP to the company from every founder and contractor in writing, use clean contractor and employment agreements, and stay on top of statu... Advanced 3 resources →