> When we hired the next 10 people, the value/% of my shares did not get affected. Where did the new hires' shares come from, if not dilution? They might have

> When we hired the next 10 people, the value/% of my shares did not get affected. Where did the new hires' shares come from, if not dilution? They might have come from an option pool, but that just adds a layer of indirection. When the option pool runs low, typically it is replenished with new shares, diluting existing ones. So I think the dynamic you're describing already exists in most startups.