Hey there (co-founder of Compound here). You’re correct—timing of the payout is critical. We try to show that in the left-hand-side (today, 3, years, at IPO) bu

Hey there (co-founder of Compound here). You’re correct—timing of the payout is critical. We try to show that in the left-hand-side (today, 3, years, at IPO) but there’s more nuance to provide (e.g., are you applying AMT credits to your net outcome, is QSBS accounted for, etc.?). The example also includes that exercise and sale occur in separate years and that that sale is being realized as a long-term capital gain. The net tax liability we’re showing is the sum of taxes owed at exercised (AMT, which is often a credit) and taxes owed at sale (LTCG). We’re adding more specificity to this and future essays (as there are infinite permutations we can make).