Marketing to HNW Clients

Pre-IPO Tech Marketing

How to Attract Pre-IPO Tech Employees With Equity Comp

This playbook turns equity-comp complexity into a focused marketing edge. Use it to target the right segments, package high-urgency offers, and build repeatable content that earns trust before liquidity events.

Sources

Kitces: Brooklyn FI and Daniel Zajac interviews
Kitces: Equity Comp Planning Niche
EquityZen and Forge liquidity resources
Prospero Wealth (async delivery)
Joyce Franklin (vesting schedule outreach)

SMS

Highlights

Quick Facts Worth Highlighting

30 days

83(b) election deadline after early exercise

1–3

new digital prospects per week from niche SEO

Few hundred/day

niche visitors can be enough to convert

The niche is narrow but high-intent. A small amount of the right traffic beats large volumes of generic traffic.

References

Key Resources

Use these references for credibility and to support client education.

On this pagev

Targeting
Positioning and offers
Distribution channels
Content themes
Partnerships and triggers
30-day launch plan

Section A

Targeting: Focus on the high-liquidity subset

The goal is not "any startup employee." Target the cohorts with meaningful vested equity and a known path to liquidity.

Late-stage employees with real liquidity paths

Prioritize Series C+ teams with tender offers, structured secondaries, or upcoming IPO plans. They have urgency and real decisions.

Big Tech employees with large RSU/ESPP positions

Many already have $1M+ liquid/investable assets and concentrated stock risk.

Founders and early employees nearing secondary events

This group needs help deciding what to sell, how to manage tax exposure, and how to diversify without regret.

Be specific on your site: name the company stage, the equity type, and the liquidity trigger you solve for.

Section B

Positioning and offers that convert

Time-sensitive equity decisions are the wedge. Package a fixed-scope offer around those decisions, not generic wealth management.

Publish fees and niche focus

Pre-IPO employees move fast. Clear fees reduce friction and signal confidence.

Create a Tender Offer / Secondary Liquidity Sprint

Fixed-fee decision support for "how much to sell" and "what it means for my plan."

Package an Equity Comp Decision System

A repeatable framework beats "wealth management" positioning for this audience.

Offer bite-sized planning with async delivery

Short videos + tasks (Loom-style) fit tech schedules and feel native to them.

Match fees to pre-liquidity reality

Use a hybrid fee model (planning + AUM + tax) so the relationship is viable before full liquidity.

Section C

Distribution channels that work

The most effective channels are where equity questions already surface.

Build a Slack or community flywheel

Tech employees self-identify in trusted channels when equity questions pop up.

Own 1–2 high-intent keywords

Long-form, technical pages can drive high-quality inbound with modest traffic.

Turn a pillar post into a lead magnet

A polished long-form guide doubles as an email opt-in asset.

Publish a liquidity timeline + matching webinar

Tie a visual timeline to an event calendar to capture urgency and attendees.

Borrow proven video funnels

If you won’t produce video content, use existing formats and topics with a clear CTA to your equity comp offer.

Section D

Content themes that pull $1M+ prospects

These are the eight pillar topics most likely to convert pre-IPO tech employees. Use each as a landing page + webinar + checklist.

Tender offer planning: how much to sell and why

Pair decision frameworks with after-tax modeling examples.

83(b) election checklist and deadline pitfalls

The 30-day window makes this a high-urgency, high-trust topic.

ISO exercise + AMT decision framework

Help them weigh tax risk vs. long-term upside without jargon.

Lock-up expiration planning checklist

Map timelines and trading plans to reduce regret and panic selling.

Concentrated stock diversification framework

Stage diversification with clear thresholds and tax tradeoffs.

QSBS basics with CPA/attorney disclaimers

Keep it educational and collaborative with specialist partners.

Multi-state tax issues for remote equity holders

This is increasingly common and under-addressed.

Equity document checklist

A short, shareable checklist that gets passed around internally.

Section E

Partnerships and trigger-based outreach

You win by being the translation layer between equity complexity and human decisions.

Partner with equity-comp adjacent COIs

Startup-focused CPAs, equity comp specialists, estate attorneys, and private liquidity providers see the problem first.

Track vesting calendars to trigger outreach

Proactive reminders create trust and referrals inside these teams.

Build a shareable checklist asset

The equity document checklist is a low-friction way to spread internally.

These partnerships map directly to the COI relationships topic. Pair this with your referral process to create compounding growth.

Section F

A simple 30-day launch plan

Week 1: Build one pillar page and one checklist

Start with a high-urgency topic like 83(b) or tender offers. Add an email capture.

Week 2: Publish fees + launch a fixed-fee sprint

Create a single, clearly priced offer tied to a liquidity decision.

Week 3: Seed Slack and internal channels

Share your checklist and offer in relevant communities and message boards.

Week 4: Run a webinar and invite COIs

Use the webinar to collect questions and turn them into the next content piece.

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