Career Transitions
As your career accelerates, your compensation becomes much more complex than a bi-weekly paycheck.
A major career move—whether it's an executive promotion, an IPO, or leaving to start your own company—creates a domino effect on your finances. We help ambitious professionals decode complex compensation packages, manage the heavy tax burden of company equity, and build the financial runway needed to take calculated entrepreneurial risks.
- Total Comp Analysis
- Equity (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs)
- Concentration Risk
- Founder Cash Flow
Where clients get stuck
Headline vs. Reality
Is this new job offer actually as lucrative as it looks?
A massive headline number can be deceiving. Once you factor in vesting cliffs, illiquid stock, AMT tax exposure, and lost benefits from your old job, the real value of an offer can look very different.
Concentration Risk
Is my net worth too tied up in my employer's logo?
When your current paycheck, your future wealth, and your daily stress all rely on the exact same company, you aren't just taking on market risk—you are risking your entire livelihood.
The Entrepreneur's Leap
How do I manage my money when my income stops being predictable?
Going independent—whether as a consultant, contractor, or founder—means you suddenly have to act as your own HR department, funding your own retirement and managing your own tax withholdings.
How Pathfinder helps
Evaluate the True Offer
Model your total compensation after taxes
We don't just compare base salaries. We model the after-tax impact of sign-on bonuses, equity vesting schedules, and benefit differences so you can negotiate with a clearer view of the tradeoffs.
Unwind the Equity
Build a liquidity and diversification strategy
We turn your equity from a vague paper asset into a concrete plan. We'll map out likely exercise timing, sale options and tax tradeoffs so the decision is grounded in understanding not guesswork.
Architect the Business
Design a cash flow system for business owners
If you are making the leap to founder, we help you determine how much runway is reasonable, set up solo retirement plans (like SEP IRAs or Solo 401(k)s), and smooth out irregular income.
Related resources
Resource
Evaluating Startup ISOs
Walk through the tradeoffs before exercising or holding startup options.
Resource
Taxation of RSUs, ISOs & NSOs
Use this reference when the tax side of equity compensation becomes the key issue.
Service
Discover/Decide/Do
See how Pathfinder structures major decisions into a disciplined planning process.
Talk through your next move
Make the next decision with a plan, not pressure.
If you want a clearer plan before making a significant career or business decision, we would be glad to talk with you.