We are an early stage company. We can't match the top-end salaries of large tech firms or corporates. Paying unsustainable wages now is like burning fuel too fast on a rocket: we’ll run out before reaching orbit 🌏. That said, we want you to live comfortably and well. So we are committed to paying you competitively and fairly.
At Vwala, compensation is a mix: fair salary, meaningful equity, perks, and benefits. We're looking for people who value the full package and the mission. And in return, we're committed to making that package genuinely worth it.
We assess all new hires and employees on a leveling scale. We use the same scale to assess when someone is in line for a promotion.
If two people are in the same role and level, with comparable experience, they deserve the same base salary. Differences shouldn’t come from negotiation skill, who you know, or your gender. They should come from role, level, and measurable performance. This way, we build trust and remove hidden inequities.
We’ll be open about how we think about compensation: what benchmarks we use, how we set our bands, and how we landed on your offer. This page is a testimony to that principle.
We work with defined, transparent rules rather than ad-hoc negotiation or gut feel. Why? Because formulas remove ambiguity, bias, and favoritism. When your offer is based on a clear level, a set salary band, and a predetermined equity multiplier, you don’t have to fear being underpaid because you’re “less assertive” or didn’t negotiate well.
No guesswork, no bias. Just a formula.
In an early stage company, speed is everything and there are a thousand things to do. Reviewing compensation is something we don’t want to become a recurring distraction.
That’s why we commit to one formal review per year, with no exceptions. By doing this, you know exactly when compensation can be discussed, we can benchmark everyone against the market all at once, and we can make data-informed decisions about rewarding performance instead of leaving things to scattershot requests.
Promotions and level changes are not tied to this cycle. If you're consistently performing above your current level, we won't make you wait twelve months for recognition. Growth happens when you're ready, compensation adjustments follow at the annual review.