The Reasons That Remain

Before you accept, write down the three reasons you started interviewing — on paper, not just in your head.

For each one, ask: does this money fix this? If your reasons were "my manager micromanages," "there is no path to senior," or "the product is dying," a 15% bump fixes none of them.

A counteroffer fixes exactly one reason: feeling underpaid. If that was your real reason, accept. If it was anything else, no number on the page changes your answer.