Speed Closes. The best searches end the same way: you've identified the right person, the client is aligned, the candidate is interested. And then, you find yourself scrambling to pull the actual offer together.

Early-stage companies lose candidates at this stage not because the number was wrong but because they weren't ready. The offer letter is in draft. Legal needs to review the stock option agreement. Someone needs to figure out what's actually available in the option pool. Or - worse - they're still debating what the role is worth.

A complete executive offer is at least four documents: the offer letter, the stock option agreement, the employment agreement, and a benefits summary. All four need to be ready before you're in market. The comp conversation (base, bonus structure, and how much equity you're willing to put on the table) needs to happen at search launch, not when you're trying to close.

Equity is where most early-stage companies get tripped up. You need to know the number of options you're offering, the strike price, and how that strike price sits relative to the preferred price. A candidate evaluating an offer is trying to understand what their equity is actually worth - and if you can't answer those questions clearly and quickly, the offer feels half-baked even if the number is right.

A simple visual aid goes a long way. Show the candidate what their options are worth at 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x the current preferred price (and, particularly for early-stage companies, the net vs the strike price as that differential is where the upside actually lives). It makes the equity feel real and it signals that you've thought this through. Companies that do this can remove confusion.

That gap while you're getting your house in order is where you lose to a company that already did. When you're ready to make an offer, you should be able to send it the same day.

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• Pranil Vadgama joins Coronis Health, revenue cycle management company, as Chief Executive Officer & President (Source)
• Lisa Nibauer joins NOWDiagnostics, a rapid diagnostic testing company, as Chief Executive Officer (Source)
• Kevin Keegan joins ClearNote Health, an early cancer detection company, as President & Chief Operating Officer (Source)
• Sid Thacker joins Peloton, a fitness technology company, as Chief Financial Officer (Source)
• Michael Tilton joins Summus, a virtual specialty care platform, as Chief Commercial Officer (Source)
• Lumicell, a medical imaging and cancer diagnostics company, appoints Marnie Curbow as Chief Commercial Officer (Source)
• Chris Young joins Aidoc, a clinical AI company, as Chief Growth Officer (Source)
• Falko Buttler joins Stellar Health, a point-of-care intelligence company, as Chief Technology Officer (Source)
• Loïc Juillard joins TailorCare, a value-based care solution for musculoskeletal health, as Chief Technology Officer (Source)
• Shoshanah Brown joins Popai Health, a care delivery company, as Chief Population Health Officer (Source)

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Opportunity of the Week

firsthand is hiring a General Manager, Washington. This role will lead and scale operations for its mission-driven care model supporting individuals living with serious mental illness (SMI). This leader will own the state P&L, oversee clinical and community-based teams, and drive outcomes across Medicaid and behavioral health populations.

firsthand partners with health plans to deliver holistic, community-based care through peer recovery specialists, clinicians, and benefits specialists — helping members reconnect to care while improving long-term health outcomes. The company is building a deeply purpose-driven team focused on transforming how society supports individuals impacted by SMI.

Ideal candidates bring significant healthcare leadership experience, value-based care expertise, and a passion for serving vulnerable populations.

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Learn More & Apply Here —>

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