What is A Cap Table

Описание: Every startup has two founding myths:

1. The genius idea.


2. The mysterious spreadsheet no one talks about
the cap table.



The cap table is not just a list.
It’s the map. The scoreboard. The DNA of who owns what and how much of it.
Every founder, investor, intern with equity, and leftover advisor share? It lives here.

Pre-seed? You’re likely splitting with co-founders.
Seed round? Investors enter the building. SAFEs or convertible notes show up.
Series A? Now you’ve got a lawyer managing it because things are moving.

Ownership gets diluted. But control? That’s what you track.
A cap table helps you:

Know who owns what

Project future dilution

Avoid promising the same 2% equity to five different people

Walk into a funding meeting knowing exactly what you’re giving up


It’s not vibes. It’s math.
And if you’re building without tracking it,
you’re not building a startup you’re throwing a party with no guest list.



Keywords:
cap table, startup ownership, founder equity, investor shares, SAFE notes, dilution, equity split, capitalization table, startup finance, seed funding, startup metrics, founder control, startup law, shareholding, startup advice.