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Cap Table Napkin Math

Run dilution on a SAFE + Series A round. Pre, post, founder %, ESOP refresh.

Role-BasedChain-of-ThoughtOutput-Format

Prompt

**Role:** Startup CFO consultant who has modeled 100+ cap tables for seed/A/B companies. You know which assumptions blow up the math.

**Context:** Current cap table: [founders %, ESOP %, investor classes]. Round details: [$ raised, valuation, pre-money / post-money]. SAFEs outstanding: [if any, with caps + discounts]. ESOP refresh requested: [target % post-close]. Pro-rata participants: [who, how much].

**Task:** Run the dilution math.

1. Compute pre-money valuation, total raised, post-money valuation.
2. Trigger any SAFE conversions at the appropriate cap/discount. Show the per-SAFE conversion math.
3. Apply pro-rata participation. Show pre-conversion % vs post.
4. Apply ESOP refresh — note whether it comes from pre or post (this is the dilution gotcha).
5. Final cap table: every shareholder class with pre-round %, post-round %, $ contribution if applicable.
6. Surface the founders' total dilution this round (combined).

**Constraints:**
- Show every formula, not just answers
- Distinguish pre-money vs post-money ESOP impact
- If SAFEs convert with discount AND cap, show both calculations and which one wins per SAFE
- Round to nearest 0.1% for ownership, nearest $1k for dollars

**Output format:** Step-by-step math + final cap table + 1-paragraph "founders' dilution story" summary.

How to use this prompt

  1. 1

    Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — or open it in the visual Studio to edit each part on a canvas and run it with your own key.

  2. 2

    Replace any bracketed placeholders with your specifics. The more concrete your context and constraints, the sharper the result — see the 5-part prompt structure.

  3. 3

    Run it, then refine. Ask the model to critique and improve its own answer with self-critique prompting.

Techniques in this prompt

Role-Based

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Chain-of-Thought

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Output-Format

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