The calculator on this site is built to give you a defensible range for your specific grant, not a single 'true' number. Here's how to get the most out of it.
Step 1: pick your equity type correctly
Each type has different tax treatment and different math. Read the inline help under the type selector. If your company grants an ISO/NSO mix, model both halves separately.
Step 2: enter your real shares and strike
Your offer letter or Carta dashboard has both. Don't round — strike prices like $54.32 matter at scale. If you have multiple grants, run the calculator separately for each.
Step 3: read all four methods
The headline is the weighted mid-point of four methods (peer-multiple, secondary, time-decay, sector momentum). If one method is significantly higher or lower than the others, that's diagnostic — look at the confidence score and explanation.
Step 4: stress-test with scenarios
The up/down/secondary scenario boxes show what you'd realise at different next-event outcomes. If the down-round scenario takes your equity to a tiny number, the position is fragile.
The honest framing: this calculator gives you a 'good 80% answer'. For the other 20% — your specific cap-table preferences, your state tax situation, your full picture — talk to a CPA who specialises in startup equity.