Advise clients on career decisions

A junior client called me this morning: they have two offers in product roles, one at a small startup and one at a large firm, and want a short memo I can email them today comparing likely compensation trajectory, learning curve, and exit options. Use their current title, three years’ experience, and that they prefer engineering-adjacent roles.

Before I send the career advice note to the client, make it easy for them to act: put the three trade-offs up front, show a two-line scenario for compensation and exit in year three for each role, and flag the single piece of missing info that would change my recommendation.

The client just accepted a startup offer and called worried about growth and stability. They have three years’ experience, care about learning product skills, and didn’t negotiate equity. What is the most likely practical outcome in their first 18 months, what immediate steps should they take to preserve options, and what warning language should I give them so they can sleep tonight?

Over the last year several clients accepted offers without negotiating equity or vesting terms and came back unhappy six months later. Where are we losing leverage in offer coaching, what one simple habit would improve later satisfaction, and how should I change our pre-offer checklist to catch this earlier?