Investment Firm Compensation: Why AUM Alone Isn’t Enough
We just wrapped an investment firm consulting project where we looked at the firm’s compensation by both total AUM and size of most recent fund. We found the data to be interesting, so we’re sharing some of the analysis with you in this month’s digest. One of the most influential ways to customize investment firm compensation is […]
One in three investment firms gift vertical slices of carry into trusts. Is yours one of them?
Carried interest is one of the most powerful levers in venture capital and private equity compensation. In our recent webinar with GetDynasty.com, we discussed putting part of your carried interest (and committed capital) into vertical trusts. Here’s what the data says, and what you need to know before you act. When it comes to gifting […]
The Investor Option Pool: Why Valuation Matters More Than Share Size
In our last piece, we looked at how the founder share of a company’s option pool shrinks as valuations rise — and what that actually means in dollar terms. This week, we’re looking at the investor option pool: what that growth actually means, and why the dynamics of the investor pool are fundamentally different from […]
Venture Capital Compensation Trends: Roles Funds Are Betting On
When we asked Perplexity what was going on in Venture Capital this week, it said that venture was in its “value creation” era — and when we looked at the year-over-year venture capital compensation trends on the Thelander platform, we understood why. We pulled the roles with the biggest jumps in median total cash since […]
Investment Firm Bonus Structure
Investment firm bonus structure varies widely across PE and VC firms — and understanding how bonuses are set is critical for attracting and retaining top talent. In case you missed our IF Data Drop last week, we’re expanding on how firms structure bonuses for their investment teams. The first major consideration is whether a bonus […]
Bonus Structures: VC Holds Steady While PE Drifts Toward Discretion
What’s driving VC and PE bonus structures in 2026? New data from the Thelander x PitchBook Investment Firm Compensation Survey shows that bonus structures across VC and PE firms remain tilted toward discretionary pay — but the similarity ends there. The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Wall Street’s 2025 bonuses reflect a “gangbusters” year – […]
VC Associate Compensation by Region: Why AUM Matters More Than Geography
VC associate compensation by region varies widely across the U.S., but the biggest driver of total cash might not be what you’d expect. While associates in Tier 1 regions do earn more, the most significant step-up in total cash occurs once firms cross the $1 billion AUM threshold. Using the interactive compensation maps from the […]
Carry Dollars at Work: What Every VC Needs to Know
What are carry dollars at work? Thelander data shows how carry dollars at work — the potential dollar value of carried interest at a 2x gross multiple — has shifted across firm sizes and levels since 2023.
Carried Interest Vesting: How VC and PE Firms Are Moving in Opposite Directions
Carried interest vesting is diverging — and the gap between VC and PE is widening. Using carried interest data from the Thelander platform, we’re seeing a clear split in how both VC and PE firms are structuring vesting times. At Venture Capital firms, vesting is getting longer. At Private Equity firms, vesting is getting shorter. […]
How Managing General Partner Compensation Changes as AUM Grows at VC Firms
You’re a Managing General Partner of a venture firm and your AUM grows from $50 – $99 million to $1 – $1.9 billion…How do you expect the mix of cash and carry to change? The Thelander Comp Planning tool has the answer. Using real-time data from the Thelander platform: Thousands of firms rely on the Thelander […]