Scaling Startup Compensation: A Guide for Series A-C Founders

A three-part guide for founders and people leaders building scalable pay practices

Startup compensation is one of the most powerful levers a company has — and one of the easiest to get wrong. In the early stages, compensation decisions are often driven by gut decisions, inconsistent data, and the pressure to hire fast. By the time a startup hits Series B or C, those early choices can create inequities, confusion, and misalignment that are hard to unwind.

That’s why we created this three-part blog series - to help founders move from ad hoc pay decisions to scalable, strategic systems. 

This series was developed in collaboration with the Accel Talent Team, drawing on my 20+ years of experience as an HR operator in venture-backed startups and Accel’s expertise advising hundreds of portfolio companies through rapid growth. 

Our goal is to make startup compensation clearer, fairer, and easier to scale — without slowing down your growth.

What You’ll Learn in This Series

Part 1: Laying the Groundwork - Build Compensation Foundations that Scale → Learn how to build a strong foundation for compensation — from defining your philosophy and job levels to creating structured salary bands. Explore how pay transparency, equity, and communication drive trust and retention as your company scales.

Part 2: Planning with Precision - Use Market Data & Tools that Work → Discover the tools and data that bring structure to your compensation program. Learn how to select the right planning systems, interpret market data effectively, and engage experts to strengthen your strategy.

Part 3: Getting Equity Right - Design Ownership that Attracts and Retains Talent → Understand how to design equity programs that balance attraction, retention, and dilution. Learn about refresh grant programs, RSUs versus stock options, and how to manage burn while educating employees on ownership.

Featuring Insights from Trusted Experts

This guide includes insights and valuable resources from some of the most respected experts in startup compensation - pre-vetted partners I’ve personally collaborated with and trust.

Contributors include: 

Lola Han • Matt McFarlane • Armina Behrouzi • Ashish Raina • Tudor Havriliuc 

Carta • Complete • ChartHop • Pave • Kamsa • Sequoia • Outsail • Plus More!

Their contributions bring deep subject matter expertise supporting early-stage companies through the challenges of designing pay and equity structures at scale. 

Who This Series Is For

This series offers practical, stage-specific advice for:

• Founders and CEOs navigating compensation strategy for the first time.

• People leaders designing scalable, equitable pay structures.

• Finance partners responsible for budgeting and headcount planning

• VC and portfolio talent teams advising early-stage startups.

Whether you’re defining your first compensation structure or reworking it after rapid growth, you’ll walk away with practical frameworks, tested tools, and real-world insights you can apply immediately.

About Shelby Wolpa Consulting

Shelby Wolpa has spent 20+ years building People functions at high-growth startups, including Palantir, One Medical, Instacart, and InVision. Through Shelby Wolpa Consulting, she’s spent the last 5+ years advising over 40 Series A–C startups and venture capital firms on how to design scalable people systems, world-class employee experiences, and operational excellence through periods of rapid growth.

▶️ Contact Shelby today