What's different about a startup offer letter vs a corporate one?

Startup offer letters often include ESOP grants, have tighter notice periods, and are written for faster-moving hires. They also need to be legally precise despite being drafted quickly — because early hires often don't have independent legal review before signing.

How do I include equity in an offer letter?

Firmly lets you add an ESOP grant value in INR, a vesting schedule (years), and a cliff period (months) directly in the offer letter. The grant is described in plain terms the candidate can understand. A separate ESOP agreement covers the full mechanics.

Can I send offer letters for both interns and full-time employees?

Yes. Firmly generates legally distinct documents for each employment type. Interns get stipend-based, fixed-term, learning-scoped language. Full-time employees get salary, probation, notice periods, and leave entitlements. Contractors get a separate framing again.

How many offer letters can I send?

Unlimited during early access. Firmly is free while the product is in early access — no per-letter charges, no seat limits.

Do my offer letters look professional enough for senior hires?

Yes. Firmly's offer letters carry your company's name, logo, and signatory. The formatting is clean and structured — the kind of document a senior hire expects to receive from a company that takes itself seriously.

Is Firmly enough — or do I need a lawyer for startup offer letters?

For the large majority of startup hires, Firmly is sufficient. Our templates are India-specific and cover the clauses that matter at diligence. The cases where a lawyer is worth bringing in: senior hires with custom equity arrangements, international employees, or any hire where the candidate is asking to negotiate specific clauses.

Built for startups

Offer letters built for Indian startup founders.

You're hiring fast, often for equity, with no HR team. Firmly's offer letters are designed around that reality — professional, legally sound, sent in under 2 minutes.

Quick answer

Indian startup offer letters need ESOP grant sections, correct employment-type framing (full-time vs intern vs contractor), IP assignment under the Copyright Act, and Indian-law-compliant termination mechanics. Firmly generates the right document for each hiring scenario in under 2 minutes — no HR team or lawyer required.

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Built for how founders actually hire

What hiring scenarios do Indian startup offer letters need to cover?

Hiring your first few employees

No HR team, no in-house lawyer. Firmly gives you India-specific templates that look professional and hold up legally — without a retainer.

Offering equity or ESOPs

Add a stock option grant with vesting schedule and cliff directly in the offer letter. Candidates see the full package; you don't need a separate document for the grant.

Taking on interns from college

Intern offers require different legal framing than employee offers. Firmly generates the right document for each type — keeping each engagement legally clean.

Hiring contractors and advisors

A contractor offer letter needs different IP, termination, and payment framing than a full-time one. Firmly handles the distinction automatically.

Scaling to multiple hires

Set up your company once. Every offer after that reuses your details. Clause templates you save are available on every future offer — no copy-pasting.

Staying compliant as you grow

POSH, DPDP Act 2023, governing law, and Standing Orders clauses are all available as toggles. Compliance is opt-in, not an afterthought.

< 2 min

to generate an offer letter

3 types

full-time, intern, contractor

15+ clauses

toggleable per offer

Free

during early access

How it works

From blank page to signed offer in under 3 minutes.

Set up your company

Name, logo, address, signatory — once. Saved for every document after.

Enter the candidate's details

Name, role, compensation, start date, employment type. Takes about 60 seconds.

Pick your clauses

Toggle NDA, IP assignment, POSH, DPDP, probation, and more. Add custom sections if needed.

Draft and send

Preview the letter, make any edits, and email the PDF. The candidate signs and replies. Done.

FAQ

Common questions

: Startup offer letters often include ESOP grants, have tighter notice periods, and are written for faster-moving hires. They also need to be legally precise despite being drafted quickly — because early hires often don't have independent legal review before signing.
: Firmly lets you add an ESOP grant value in INR, a vesting schedule (years), and a cliff period (months) directly in the offer letter. The grant is described in plain terms the candidate can understand. A separate ESOP agreement covers the full mechanics.
: Yes. Firmly generates legally distinct documents for each employment type. Interns get stipend-based, fixed-term, learning-scoped language. Full-time employees get salary, probation, notice periods, and leave entitlements. Contractors get a separate framing again.
: Unlimited during early access. Firmly is free while the product is in early access — no per-letter charges, no seat limits.
: Yes. Firmly's offer letters carry your company's name, logo, and signatory. The formatting is clean and structured — the kind of document a senior hire expects to receive from a company that takes itself seriously.
: For the large majority of startup hires, Firmly is sufficient. Our templates are India-specific and cover the clauses that matter at diligence. The cases where a lawyer is worth bringing in: senior hires with custom equity arrangements, international employees, or any hire where the candidate is asking to negotiate specific clauses.

Last updated: May 8, 2026

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