Evaluating & Comparing Offers

Getting multiple offers is the goal - but comparing them isn't straightforward. Total compensation varies wildly between companies, and non-financial factors often matter more for long-term career growth.

Understanding Total Compensation

A data science offer typically includes:

Component	What to Look For
Base Salary	Annual guaranteed pay
Bonus	Target percentage, is it guaranteed?
Equity/RSUs	Grant value, vesting schedule, refresh policy
Signing Bonus	One-time, sometimes clawback clauses
Benefits	Health, 401k match, etc.

Calculating total comp:

Annual Total Comp = Base + (Bonus × probability) + (Equity ÷ vesting years)

Example:
Base: $180,000
Bonus: 15% target (assume 100% payout): $27,000
Equity: $200,000 over 4 years: $50,000/year
Total: $257,000/year

The Equity Trap

Equity is complicated - especially at startups:

Company Stage	Equity Reality
Pre-seed/Seed	Options likely worth $0 (90%+ startups fail)
Series A-B	High risk, high potential
Series C+	More predictable, but liquidation preferences matter
Pre-IPO	Value exists but illiquid
Public company	Treat as cash (with volatility risk)

Questions to ask about equity:

• What's the current 409A valuation?
• What percentage of the company does this represent?
• What's the liquidation preference stack?
• Is there a secondary market or buyback program?
• What's the expected timeline to liquidity event?

Rule of thumb: For seed/Series A companies, value equity at 10-20% of paper value. For public companies, value at face value minus volatility risk.

The Decision Matrix

Create a weighted comparison:

Factor	Weight	Company A	Company B	Company C
Total Comp	25%	4/5	5/5	3/5
Growth/Learning	25%	5/5	3/5	4/5
Team/Manager	20%	4/5	4/5	5/5
Work-Life Balance	15%	3/5	5/5	4/5
Company Trajectory	15%	5/5	3/5	4/5
Weighted Total		4.2	4.0	4.0

Key insight: Assign weights BEFORE you have offers to avoid rationalizing the one you emotionally prefer.

Non-Financial Factors

Often more important than comp in the long run:

Team and Manager Quality

Questions to assess:

• Who will you work with daily?
• What's the manager's background and tenure?
• What happened to previous people in this role?
• How does the team make decisions?

Red flags:

• You didn't meet your direct manager
• High turnover on the team
• Vague answers about growth path
• Manager has been there < 6 months

Learning and Growth

Signal	Good Sign	Warning Sign
Project scope	Complex, ambiguous problems	Maintenance, reports
Seniority distribution	Mix of levels to learn from	No senior people
Promotion path	Clear criteria, recent promotions	"We'll figure it out"
Technical investment	Modern stack, learning budget	Legacy everything

Work-Life Balance

Questions to ask:

• What does a typical week look like?
• How often does the team work weekends?
• What's the on-call situation?
• How much flexibility is there in hours/location?

The Counter-Offer Situation

If you're leaving your current job and get countered:

Statistics say: 80%+ of people who accept counter-offers leave within 18 months anyway.

Why counter-offers often fail:

• The underlying problems rarely change
• Trust may be damaged
• You're now "flight risk"
• The raise only addresses compensation, not role issues

When to consider a counter:

• The only issue was compensation
• You genuinely want to stay
• The counter addresses ALL your concerns
• Your relationship with management is strong

Making the Final Decision

The "Regret Minimization" framework:

Ask yourself: "In 5 years, which choice would I regret NOT taking?"

The "Monday Morning" test:

Imagine it's Monday morning and you're starting each job. Which one gives you energy? Which one gives you dread?

The "Advice" inversion:

If a friend described these exact options, what would you advise them? Now follow your own advice.

Declining Offers Gracefully

You'll likely need to decline 1-2 offers:

Good decline message:

Subject: [Your Name] - Decision on [Role]

Hi [Recruiter],

Thank you so much for the offer to join [Company] as [Role].
I've really enjoyed learning about the team and the problems
you're solving.

After careful consideration, I've decided to accept another
opportunity that's a better fit for my career goals at this time.

I really appreciate your time and the team's throughout this
process. I hope our paths cross again in the future.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Don't:

• Ghost them
• Provide excessive detail about why
• Leave them waiting indefinitely
• Burn bridges

The right offer isn't always the highest-paying one. It's the one that best positions you for where you want to be in 5 years. :::