founders should structure their equity split on the assumption that some aspects of the startup (such as its business model or strategy) and their founding team (such as the founders’ roles or levels of commitment) will change. They should (a) define how foreseeable scenarios should affect the equity split and (b) “plan for the unforeseeable” by including buyout terms or similar means by which an underperforming cofounder’s equity can be reclaimed by the other founders. Such terms encourage each founder to continue contributing and, failing that, let the remaining cofounders redeploy the
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