Episode 6 of 6
The Founder's Decision
After months of modeling, Fiona makes her call: she negotiates the $130k salary, keeps her existing equity, and sets a personal deadline — if no exit by age 40, she transitions to a VP role at a larger company and treats the equity as a lottery ticket.
Key Insight
The VP path at age 40 projects a $185k salary and a traditional FIRE date of 52. The founder path has a 40% chance of yielding $1.5M+ by 40 and a 60% chance of yielding $0. Fiona's hybrid plan — founder now, VP fallback — has an expected lifetime wealth of $2.8M vs. $2.1M for switching immediately.
Model This Scenario