TechCrunch+ roundup: Allocating equity, unicorn traffic jam, blockchain gaming survey

techcrunch.com:

Early-stage startup founders have just a few ways to recruit and retain employees:

In most cases, equity will not leave employees with substantial wealth. But even the most embittered worker will think twice about walking away from a job before they’re fully vested.

In a TC+ guest post, Kirsten Prost, vice president at VC/PE firm Tercera, lays out detailed steps for designing your equity program.

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Her guide includes brackets and multipliers for contributors at different levels, along with fictional examples founders can use for modeling, and tips that will help employees understand the value of their stake.

Speaking as a veteran of many early-stage startups: entrepreneurs love to be seen talking about fostering an ownership mentality, but if that’s going to be more than happy talk, you’ll first need a transparent equity program.

We’ll be off on Monday, January 17 to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Thanks very much for reading, and have an excellent weekend!

Walter Thompson Senior Editor, TechCrunch+@yourprotagonist

A startup founder’s guide to allocating equity grants

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

Dear Sophie,

My husband and I plan to visit our daughter during her spring break. (She’s an F-1 international student at a U.S. university.)

In between spending time with our daughter and sightseeing, we’d like to explore the feasibility of expanding our business in the United States.

Do we need to get a special visa to do that?

— Multitasking Mom

Dear Sophie: Do we need a visa to explore the US market?

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

There’s a growing rift between the public and private