What is walk-away cost?
Short answer: it is not how much the offer pays. It is what you give up on the way out: unvested RSUs, options still inside a cliff, refreshers that have not started, a sign-on grant with a clawback window.
Vested value you can keep is not walk-away cost. Paper from a private company is not cash. The calculator lets you haircut that. It will not pretend a $100k line is $100k in the bank.
Why the date matters
A grant with a cliff next month does not cost the same as one that just reset. Leave the week before a vest and the number jumps. Leave the week after and it drops. Those gaps are the exit windows.
You do not need an offer to see this. Current grants and a leave date are enough.
What the calculator will not do
It will not verify what you type. It will not file anything. It will not tell you to take the offer or stay. The equity math is deterministic. Your inputs and your weights are yours. Share links still carry bands only, never exact dollars.
FAQ
Is vested equity walk-away cost? No. Walk-away cost is the unvested value you forfeit. Vested value you can keep is outside that number.
Do I need an offer to run it? No. Current grants and a leave date are enough to see the cost. An offer is only needed if you want the comparison.
Does private-company paper count as cash? No. The calculator labels it separately and lets you haircut it. It will not silently blend it with liquid value.