Size an employee option pool against planned hiring and grant levels.
Pool sizing is driven by the hiring plan rather than by convention, and a refresh buffer is needed because retention grants consume pool alongside new hires. Senior hires can require several times the average grant. Underestimating the pool forces a top-up at the next round, which investors typically require to come from pre-money and therefore from existing holders.
Employee Option Pool
Pool needed = hires × average grant × (1 + refresh buffer)
Pool needed = hires × average grant × (1 + refresh buffer) Pool sizing is driven by the hiring plan rather than by convention, and a refresh buffer is needed because retention grants consume pool alongside new hires. Senior hires can require several times the average grant.
Underestimating the pool forces a top-up at the next round, which investors typically require to come from pre-money and therefore from existing holders.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Fully diluted shares, Planned hires before the next round, Average grant per hire, Existing unallocated pool, Buffer for refresh grants. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.