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What are the real CEO, CFO and Developers wages when you just opened a startup and go for Seed A in SFBA?

Vanessa Kruze, CPA, is a leading expert in startup taxes and tax compliance. Her team at Kruze Consulting has filed thousands of tax returns for companies that have raised billions in VC funding, and her work has been diligenced by leading VCs, attorneys, and M&A teams at the largest technology companies.
Vanessa Kruze, a highly-experienced CPA, brings valuable tax expertise to startups, drawing from her rich background at Deloitte Tax and as a financial controller for a $20 million startup. As the leader of Kruze Consulting, recognized multiple times in the Inc 5000 list, she specializes in navigating the complex tax landscape for startups. Her firm is known for delivering precise and strategic tax solutions, delivering tax credits utilizing advanced tools to ensure compliance and optimize tax benefits for startups throughout the United States.

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I get to see the salaries for over 150 startups in SF, NYC, and LA, and I’ve noticed a few trends when it comes to wages:

Average CEO Salary for an SF Bay Area Seed Stage Company: sorry to disappoint, but at the seed stage CEO’s salaries tend to be nonexistent (Yes, $0) or very meager. At the earliest of stages, the CEO’s top priority is to keep his/her salary as low as possible. Their primary goal is to make that initial investment last as long as possible so that when they reach their Series A round they’ll be able to point to their many achievements and discoveries.

Average Developer Salary for an SF Bay Area Seed Stage Company: these are the most handsomely paid bunch in the startup world. Whether it’s the CTO or the rest of the engineering team, salaries go for $80-125K per year at the seed stage. Keep in mind that salaries are still kept as low as possible, as it’s just as important for the developer team to show their full faith in the future of the company. Once the Series A is raised so are their salaries; developers will then earn $120-220K per year.

Average CFO Salary for an SF Bay Area Seed Stage Company: a seed stage startup does not need a full time CFO, which is why interim CFO firms such as Kruze Consulting exist. In order to ramp for a Series A, a startup will need to put together their historical financials as well as a forecast that plots out how they plan to spend the investment and what milestones they’ll achieve over the next 18-36 months. Because a full time CFO isn’t necessary, it’s better to charge by the hour ($250/hour for financial modeling and $325/hour for CFO).

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Edith Silva
Randy Hall Kruze Consulting
Randy Hall
Viz AI

$250M+ VC Funding Raised


"I had a great experience working with Kruze Consulting when we raised Series A. They know what VCs need to see, and how to present a startup’s books and finances. If you are going to raise venture capital, you need experts like Kruze."
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Chris Mansi

CEO

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Scott Orn
COO | Former VC
Healy Jones Kruze Consulting
Healy Jones
VP FP&A | Former VC
Pequity

Scale Remote Operations & Team


"Kruze has supported us above and beyond basic accounting needs by ensuring we have everything we need to expand and support our team wherever they may be located"
Zack Fisch

Zack Fisch

Head of Operations & Legal

Clients who have worked with Kruze have collectively raised over $15 billion in VC funding.

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Vanessa Kruze, CPA Kruze Consulting
Vanessa Kruze, CPA
Founder & CEO
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Bill Hollowsky, CPA Kruze Consulting
Bill Hollowsky, CPA
VP of Accounting Services
Claudine Vantomme, CPA Kruze Consulting
Claudine Vantomme, CPA
Controller
Morgan Avery Kruze Consulting
Morgan Avery
SUT/R&D Sr. Tax Accountant
Beth Bassler Kruze Consulting
Beth Bassler
Controller, CPA
Protara Therapeutics

Grew from a 2-person startup to a NASDAQ listed public company.


"The Kruze team helped us grow from a 2-person startup to a NASDAQ listed public company in 2 years. We wouldn’t have gotten public without Kruze’s support. Anyone thinking of launching a startup should make Vanessa their first call!"
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CEO

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