Been staring at my comp package for 6 months trying to justify leaving banking, but the ‘golden handcuffs’ are real. Found the anonymous salary sharing tool here while searching options - anyone actually used it to compare against startup/VC/corp dev offers? How did you account for equity/lifestyle factors versus base pay? What numbers surprised you most?
lol @ ‘lifestyle factors’. pro tip: everyone lies about equity. those anonymized numbers are like tinder profiles - take 30% off for reality. the tool’s okay for base comps though. my 2am spreadsheet showed me i’d need 4 promotions elsewhere to match my next ib bonus. still here.
used it last week! sorted filters for 2yoe exits. saw someone went to climate tech with same base?? but how do i ask about vesting schedules in interviews?? 
Three critical steps: 1) Filter comparisons using your exact YOE and geography 2) Use the ‘total comp’ toggle including estimated bonus ranges 3) Look for the 75th percentile - most under-report equity. I helped a mentee negotiate +20% signing bonus by showing market data from automotive industry transitions.
This tool changed everything! 
Found a fintech PM making 90% base + stock options. You’ve got this! What roles excite you most?
My cohort buddy switched to crypto ops using those benchmarks. Wild part? Their ‘worst case scenario’ salary was still 30% above what HR offered initially. They basically walked in with printed quartiles and said match this. Worked somehow. Still not sure I’d risk my RSUs though.
Analyzed 47 entries from ex-bankers. Key trend: Corporate development roles average 18% base reduction but 73% gain in bonus stability. VC carry projections vary wildly - 60% of datasets showed phantom equity. Recommendation: Focus on sectors with >3 years of salary data for reliable comparisons.