Cofounders' Agreement BEFORE Incorporation (Slicing Pie)
Cofounders' Agreement BEFORE Incorporation (Slicing Pie)
Real future proofing of your equity allocation - based on real contributions, not guesswork about the future
This Cofounder Agreement Template is built on dynamic equity principles (Slicing Pie) — the only contribution-based equity model that adjusts ownership based on what each founder actually contributes over time.
Most cofounder agreements lock founders into fixed equity splits which are extremely difficult to keep fair overtime. That’s nr. 1 reason why so many teams fall apart.
This template is for founders that want to use the dynamic equity principle - and is for the stage of the project BEFORE incorporation.
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Choosing how to split equity is one of the hardest decisions founders make — and one of the most dangerous to get wrong.
The fixed equity cap tables are easy to start with, but incredibly difficult to keep fair as time and team evolves.Using contribution based dynamic equity split solves that problem before it starts.
It helps you:
Split equity fairly based on actual, trackable contributions
Protect the relationship by removing emotional guesswork
Adapt ownership as roles, effort, and contributions evolve
Avoid expensive legal fees in the early stage
Stay compliant after incorporation with localised versions
Build trust, alignment, and long-term motivation in your team
💡 If you want a cofounder agreement that stays fair on day 1, day 100, and year 5 — this is the one.
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This template is designed for founders who want fairness, transparency, and structure from the beginning without spending fortune in legal fees.
Use them if you are:
Forming a new cofounding team and want an equity model you can trust
Testing a potential cofounder and want a safe pre-incorporation document
Building a startup where roles and contributions will change over time
Working in a team where risk, time, money, IP, and effort aren’t equal
An accelerator, advisor, or investor wanting founders to avoid non future proof equity decisions
Whether you’re building SaaS, biotech, deep tech, Web3, consumer, or hardware — dynamic equity works anywhere where effort and risk evolve.
Founders’ feedback
Interested in a different template?
Each stage of cofounding comes with different challenges. From finding the right partner to setting up fair agreements. Our templates are designed to guide you through every step.
About Dr. Jana Nevrlka
This tool was created by Dr. Jana Nevrlka, cofounding expert, author of Cofounding The Right Way, cofounding expert and mediator - to help as many founders as possible.
Combining business, legal, and entrepreneurial experience (including both successful and failed startup), Jana helps founders build strong cofounding teams and prevent the conflicts that sink most startups. She has worked with thousands of founders, startup teams, and investors worldwide, delivering practical tools for cofounder agreements, equity splits, and building resilient teams.