Science & Technology

Equity, incentives, and early-stage tradeoffs with Yuri Sagalov, GeneralCatalyst

Build Mode is back. This season we’re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class founding team starting with your cap table, equity structures, and startup compensation strategy. We kick off with Yuri Sagalov, managing director at General Catalyst and former founder, YC partner, and seed investor at Wayfinder Ventures. Yuri has worked…

Published

2 months ago

February 19, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Build Mode is back. This season we’re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class founding team starting with your cap table, equity structures, and startup compensation strategy.

We kick off with Yuri Sagalov, managing director at General Catalyst and former founder, YC partner, and seed investor at Wayfinder Ventures. Yuri has worked with hundreds of pre-seed and seed-stage startups, and he shares practical advice on how early-stage founders should think about startup equity, cap table design, investor selection, and compensation structures from day one.

He breaks down:

• The 3 types of investors (and which one to avoid)
• Why your cap table is part of your team
• The 20–25% seed dilution rule
• How to split equity with a co-founder
• How to talk to early employees about risk and compensation

No matter where you are in your startup journey, this episode will help you get the incentive structure right from the beginning.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why your first hires deserve more equity
00:31 – Meet Yuri Sagalov (YC → General Catalyst)
02:12 – Your cap table is part of your team
02:50 – The 3 types of investors (avoid this one)
05:02 – How to split equity with a co-founder
07:55 – How much equity to give early employees
09:37 – How to talk compensation and risk
12:31 – Red flags in formation docs and vesting
18:27 – Advisors for equity? Usually a mistake
20:05 – The 20–25% seed dilution rule
26:03 – The shift to 10-year stock options
34:11 – Don’t scale before product-market fit
39:23 – Final advice: Just start and choose your co-founder carefully

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Up Next

Why Your First Hires You Stay Until Your IPO

Don't Miss

Build Mode Season 2: What it Takes to Build World-Class Teams

Click to comment

Science & Technology

For Runway, AI video was step one. Now they’re trying to build worlds | Equity Podcast

AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool in AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool almost overnight, and Runway has a front-row seat to the shift. The New York-based company has raised close to $860 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, and its models are going toe-to-toe with the most well-funded…

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

And the technology goes way beyond making videos: it’s now pushing into general world models with applications in gaming, robotics, and maybe something closer to general intelligence.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, host Rebecca Bellan sits down with co-founder and CEO Cristobal Valenzuela to talk about where video generation goes from here, and why Runway’s ambitions now reach well beyond Hollywood.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:56 Can AI really replace Hollywood?

04:18 Why “AI slop” fears miss the point

08:23 Research lab, software company, or creative studio?

13:42 From video generation to world models, explained

17:36 Omni models and multimodal training

19:31 Real-time video and the “Characters” product

22:33 Are AI companions inherently dystopian?

25:59 Physical AI and robotics

28:35 Where growth is coming from: enterprise and prosumer

29:31 Outro

Popular Science

Would Permanent Daylight Savings Time Really Improve Our Quality of Life?

Whether you’re pro-Daylight Savings or pro-Standard Time, the science is clear: Switching *between* the two every year is terrible for human health. So why haven’t we stuck with one system all year? The answer is both scientific AND political. Hosted by Annie Colbert Reported by Tom Hawking Edited by Avital Oehler Written and Produced by…

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Whether you’re pro-Daylight Savings or pro-Standard Time, the science is clear: Switching *between* the two every year is terrible for human health.

So why haven’t we stuck with one system all year? The answer is both scientific AND political.

Hosted by Annie Colbert
Reported by Tom Hawking
Edited by Avital Oehler
Written and Produced by Matt Silverman

CNET

3 Foldables, 3 Price Hikes: Motorola’s New Razrs Are Feeling 2026’s Drag

The Motorola Razr 2026 phones are still top clamshell foldables with new features, but also higher prices. You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 | Unlocked Motorola Razr+ 2025 | Unlocked Motorola Moto Razr 5G 2025 | 256GB *CNET may get a commission on these offers Read…

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

The Motorola Razr 2026 phones are still top clamshell foldables with new features, but also higher prices.

You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below
Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 | Unlocked
Motorola Razr+ 2025 | Unlocked
Motorola Moto Razr 5G 2025 | 256GB
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Read more about the new Razr Phones on CNET.com
Motorola’s Razr Is Days Away From Its iPhone Moment
Motorola’s 2026 Razr Ultra Needs These Features to Win Me Over

0:00 The New Motorola Razr 2026 Lineup
0:30 Price Increases Across the Board
1:17 Battery Upgrades with Silicon-Carbon
1:34 New Camera Features and Gestures
2:05 Final Thoughts on the Price and Value

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#motorolarazr #foldable #smartphone #tech #motorola #foldphone #razrultra