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Comment by cperciva | Hacker News Reader

Is it unreasonable for the company not to tell me the number of outstanding shares?

Yes. Your logic is absolutely correct -- they're refusing to tell you something which is essential to you being able to evaluate their offer. You (hopefully) wouldn't accept a job offer without being told what the salary / hourly wage is; you should treat this situation no differently.

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I told them I was going to take the night to think it over. I guess tomorrow I will ask again for the number of outstanding or authorized shares. I feel like if they continue to be sketchy about it, it might be an indicator of how they will act in the future.

There are two possibilities here, really: 1. They're trying to dupe you; 2. They don't realize that this is an essential number for you to know.

In my books, dishonesty and incompetence both mean exactly the same thing: Run away.

They won't tell unless you ask. If you explicitly ask and they still say no, that is a bad sign.

Depends a bit on who is doing the hiring - it may tend towards ignorance rather than incompetence. Ask for a conversation with the CFO or equiv.

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. (Hanlon's Razor)

Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.

No, malice requires intent.

... and sufficiently clever malice is indistinguishable from incompetence.

Don't ask for the number authorized, it is nearly useless. Outstanding and issued are the two ones that matter to you.

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