This article is part of Indianapolis Monthly’s February 2016 Tech City package. For more on this window into the city’s tech world, click here.
CEO and Founder
App-building company
Salary: $24,000
Equity: Majority ownership of the company shares.
Perks: Unlimited vacation. Espresso bar. Tech stipends to purchase phone and computers. Professional-growth budget for conferences and classes.
Expected salary in five years: “Startups are high-risk, high-reward. It could be a lot. You know the saying, ‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch’? There are a lot of good-looking eggs, but none have hatched yet.”
Developer
Venture-capital firm
Salary: $55,000 to $85,000, depending on bonuses.
Equity: “A small amount to start that could grow big-time down the road.”
Perks: Flexible schedule. The opportunity to work on the trendiest software platforms.
Expected salary in five years: “It could be $100,000 to $150,000 for a rock star—someone who could eventually be the CTO of the company.”
CFO
Food tech startup
Salary: $200 an hour, part-time until the business takes off. “I work for two companies like this, and am looking for a third right now.”
Equity: “Typically, a CFO takes 1.5 to 2 percent of shares. In the beginning, though, most startups opt for part-time CFOs to keep operations lean. Like most of those, I forgo options.”
Perks: Working with multiple startups, and waiting for one to catch fire.
Expected salary in five years: “Hard to say. Eventually, I want to be focused on just one company. In the meantime, I’m hedging my bets.”
