Say it like this
- Founders need skin in the game.
- Equity gives employees skin in the game.
- Teams with skin in the game ship more carefully.
Use it at work
In startups and investing
- The founders have real skin in the game.
- Investors want to see skin in the game.
In engineering culture
- On-call gives teams skin in the game.
- If you build it, you run it; that's skin in the game.
In compensation talks
- Equity gives employees skin in the game.
- I like having skin in the game through stock.
Don't say this
No article before skin.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| skin in the game | personal risk in the outcome | startups, finance, leaders | commitment and incentives |
| buy-in | agreement and support | managers, teams | getting people to agree |
| ownership | responsibility for an outcome | tech culture | who is accountable |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. You want to explain why on-call improves code quality. What do you say?
2. Investors like founders who have their own money in the company, real skin in the _______.
3. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
4. Rewrite using the idiom: 'The managers own shares, so they really care about the result.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Founders need skin in the game."
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More about skin in the game
Real examples(3)
- in a startup pitch
"Both founders invested their savings, so they have real skin in the game."
- in an engineering discussion
"If developers are on call for their own services, they have skin in the game."
- in an offer negotiation
"Stock options give you skin in the game."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Avoid it in very formal writing; "a personal stake in" is a safe alternative.
- ✕She has skin on the game.✓She has skin in the game.
The phrase uses "in".
- ✕I have skin in the game because I play games.✓I have skin in the game because my bonus depends on it.
It is about risk and commitment, not games.
Other forms(2)
- have skin in the game phrase
"Do the founders have skin in the game?"
- put skin in the game phrase
"The investors put skin in the game."
Often used with(3)
- have skin in the game · have something at risk
- real skin in the game · significant personal risk
- no skin in the game · nothing to lose, so less care
Similar words(3)
- a stake in · neutral and formal
- invested in · committed
- ownership · common in tech culture
Opposites(3)
- no stake
- nothing to lose
- detached
Questions(4)
- What does 'skin in the game' mean?
- Having personal risk in an outcome, like money, time or reputation, so you care about it.
- Where does the phrase come from?
- Its origin is not certain, but it is linked to investing and betting: putting your own "skin" (yourself) at risk.
- Is it formal?
- It is informal but common in business, finance and startup talk.
- How is it used in tech teams?
- To argue that people who own the outcome, like running their own services, make better decisions.
