← Carta
Carta role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Software and services to manage cap tables and equity for startups, and to run funds and portfolios for investors.
Who you'd be calling
Founders, CFOs, finance and legal leads at startups; fund managers, CFOs and operations leads at VC and private equity firms
Your opener
“Hi Priya, this is Sam from Carta. I'll keep this short. We help finance teams manage equity and reporting without spreadsheets. How are you tracking your cap table today?”
Problems you solve for them
- Cap tables in spreadsheets are error-prone and hard to share
- Equity grants, 409A valuations and compliance take lots of manual work
- Fund accounting and reporting to investors is slow
- Hard to see the full picture across companies and funds
Discovery questions to ask
- How do you track equity and your cap table right now?
- How long does it take to answer investor or board questions about ownership?
- Who handles equity grants, valuations and compliance, and how much time does it take?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy right now.”
→ I get it, so just one question. Is your cap table in a spreadsheet or a tool today? That tells me if it's worth another minute.
“We're not interested.”
→ Fair. Is that because equity is simple at your stage, or because it's already handled well?
“We already use something for that.”
→ Good to know. What are you using, and how happy are you with it as you grow?
“Send me an email.”
→ Sure. So it's useful, are you more focused on cap table and equity, or on running a fund?
Competitors worth knowing
Pulley, Ledgy, Shareworks, Juniper Square
Interview tips for this company
- Know the two sides: startups need cap tables and equity plans, while funds need accounting and reporting. Ask which one you're calling.
- Learn a few basics such as cap table, stock options, 409A and fund admin, and explain each in plain words.
Written from public information about Carta to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.