Pick the right peer set
Benchmarking against 'all of India tech' is meaningless for niche roles. Define a peer set by stage, geography and talent competition.
Source triangulation
Combine paid benchmarking subscriptions, search-partner intel, and live offer data. No single source is sufficient.
- Subscription benchmarks for breadth
- Search-partner intel for senior roles
- Live offer data for what actually closes
Common pitfalls
Anchoring on fixed comp only, ignoring ESOP liquidity assumptions, and benchmarking to the 75th percentile by default are the three most expensive mistakes.