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Anyone getting stock from a startup should know what percentage of the (fully diluted) company it is.

That's exactly the response I was looking for - Thanks!

Yes, but how to ask that kind of thing politely?

I would imagine it's pretty rude to ask "so how many percent of your company are you giving me?" at your first interview, no?

There is absolutely nothing impolite about asking this question. You don't need to be delicate. It's morally equivalent to asking whether your salary is denominated CDN or USD.

that's a great analogy. If the person giving you the offer acts offended you ask such a question, you may want to question working there. Being able to discuss compensation openly is (in my opinion) extremely important for any job.

I don't think it is great analogy. You're comparing fiat money to illiquid hard-to-value startup shares that have a high probability of being worth 0 in relatively short term.

You should ask about it when they offer you the stock. Any earlier, and you're being presumptuous.

Stock is impossible to value without knowing the percentage of ownership. Since this usually comes up when you're negotiating compensation, it's appropriate to ask at that time.

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