[dirkdeman]

I assume that market values in Germany don't differ too wildly from where I'm based (The Netherlands). The 3500 - 4500 Euros for the first year is OK I guess for a startup, albeit somewhat on the lower side. US salaries (especially Silicon Valley) are higher, but so is the cost of living.

What does raise a red flag for me is what happens after a year. 'Market value', how much is that? It seems they assume that business is going to grow fast, but there's no sure way to tell. Remeber: they're in stealth mode so they probably have no revenue to speak of at this point. If business isn't going well in the future you're likely stuck with the same salary and 4% of nothing, at best.

As for the net salary, you can use www.nettolohn.de (in German). I took the liberty to calculate the net wage from EUR3500,-, it will be somewhere around EUR 2100,- monthly.

Having said that, Berlin is a great city, amazing atmosphere and a nice startup culture. If I had to choose any European city to build a startup from, Berlin would be my first choice. With 3500 euros monthly, you should be able to rent a decent place, buy food, go out and save for the occasional trip to Romania.

[mircea]

Thanks a lot for the info. Do you know what is typical for an EU startup in terms of issuing stock? What types of stock are available, which type is usually issued to the founders, investors, etc?

[dirkdeman]

Sorry, I have no idea!