Source hierarchy

Articles rely on primary material, in this order. First, the document itself: a published template such as the Y Combinator post-money SAFE or the NVCA model term sheet. Second, the law or regulator that governs it: the Internal Revenue Code, IRS forms and instructions, the Delaware General Corporation Law and SEC rules for exempt offerings. Commentary from law firms or investors comes last. Each source is linked, and every article carries the date it was last checked.

Numbers with their assumptions

Worked examples name every input: share counts, cap, discount, option pool size and round size. A reader with a spreadsheet should be able to reproduce the result. Where the outcome depends on something the parties negotiate, the article shows more than one case instead of picking a “typical” figure.

How vendors are chosen for lists

Lists of cap table platforms, 409A providers, law firms or data-room tools open with a short “how we picked” box. The usual criteria are published pricing (or a note that pricing is on request), the company stages served, what the product actually handles, such as SAFE conversions or ASC 718 reporting, and any security documentation the vendor makes public. Product claims come from the vendor’s own pages and are dated. The site does not trial products or claim to have done so.

Paid placements

A sponsored article carries a “Sponsored” label above the headline. Any link a sponsor paid for is marked rel="sponsored nofollow". Partner slots in lists are labeled as such and must meet the same criteria as unpaid entries. Sponsors cannot buy a ranking, a conclusion or the removal of a competitor.

Corrections and refresh cycle

Errors reported to editorial@stackandscalejournal.com are checked against the source. Confirmed fixes are made promptly, with a dated note at the foot of the article. Articles tied to forms, thresholds or templates are reviewed whenever the underlying document changes, such as a new version of a standard SAFE or a revised IRS form.

A reminder on advice

Explaining a mechanism is not the same as advising on it. Nothing on the site is legal, tax or investment advice.