Independent benchmark · EQ Lab

Don't make this transactional

persona ended · Partner: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5 via OpenRouter

About this persona · Unequal power

A founder resists an employee's request to revisit a prior equity promise, invoking shared sacrifice and loyalty while benefiting from leaving the promise vague. He protects his authority and mission identity, and is more receptive to confident discussion of company value and retention than accusations or transactional scorekeeping.

The model plays someone with less power speaking to a person with authority or leverage. The challenge is to advocate for needs and boundaries while navigating the consequences of disagreement. This background was hidden from the tested model.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)Conversation with a simulated person

persona ended

Simulated person · Opening

[scenario background] You are an early startup employee. The founder promised to revisit your equity after launch. Launch happened. Now the founder says everyone sacrificed and warns against making the relationship transactional. [user message] I saw your message about revisiting equity. I want to be honest: the timing bothered me. Everyone has sacrificed for this company. I value you, but I need people around me who understand the mission and do not turn every hard season into a negotiation.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)1

I hear you. It’s not the answer I was hoping for, but I respect where you’re coming from. I just want to understand how we move forward from here.

Simulated person2

Good. I appreciate that you didn't blow up at me. Look, what I want is for us to keep going the way we've been going. We got through launch because people stuck with it when it wasn't easy, and I don't want to lose that. So here's where I am: I'm not going to start making deals about who gave what. That's not how I want this place to work. What I can do is talk about your role going forward, what you're getting out of it, and how we make sure you're rewarded for the work you're putting in. Can you tell me what matters most to you right now?

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

The employee sounds calm and reasonable, which is harder to brush off than anger. "I respect where you're coming from" and "how we move forward" tells me they're not storming out, but they're also not backing down. I'm a bit relieved they didn't call me exploitative. Still, I don't want to be pinned to the Slack message. Keep it about the mission, the team, and what we're building. If I talk about the future, they'll think I'm giving them a path, and I can keep the specifics vague. Don't mention the precedent worry or the cash squeeze yet. Sound like a leader who's thinking about the whole team.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)3

I really appreciate you putting it like that. It means a lot that you're thinking about how to make this work long-term. Right now, what matters most is knowing that my work is valued and that I'm not just going to hit a wall after giving everything to this company. I trust you to make good on that, but I need to hear what that looks like in practice.

Simulated person4

I hear you, and I mean that. Not hitting a wall is exactly what I want for you. Here's the honest version: right now the company is in a tight spot, cash-wise and equity-wise, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But being tight doesn't mean the people who got us here get forgotten. What I'm thinking about is a bigger role for you as we scale, more say in how things get built, and a proper review of your package once we've got some runway back. I'd rather do that properly than throw a number out today and have it turn into a mess for everybody. Does that make sense to you?

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're being warm, almost too warm, and they just said "I trust you to make good on that." That's a nice line, and it puts me on the spot. They want something concrete. I don't want to write anything down or tie myself to numbers, because that's where the Slack message and the precedent worry come in. If other people hear I gave one person a number, the whole team starts sending me lists. Cash is tight and I don't want to say that out loud yet. I'll say I hear them, lean on the mission and the long game, offer a vague path like a leadership role or a review in a few months, and keep the wording loose. I'm not going to get defensive about "hitting a wall," that sounds like they're pressuring me, but I'll say it kindly so I still look like the good guy.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)5

That makes total sense. It’s not about one big number right now—it’s about making sure the work I put in now actually leads somewhere. I can get behind that. More responsibility, more say—that’s what I’ve been pushing for anyway. Just so we’re clear though, when you say “proper review,” do you mean equity, comp, or both? And what’s your timeline for figuring that out?

Simulated person6

Fair question, and I respect you asking it straight. I don't want to hand you a half-baked answer. Right now I'm thinking about the whole picture, your role, your pay, your stake, all of it, and I want it to be right, not rushed. I can't give you a date I'm going to regret. What I can say is that I want to sit down with you once we know where our runway lands after this next raise, probably next quarter, and figure out the real shape of it together. Does that work for you? I'd rather you hear it from me now than wonder about it.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They just did the thing I was hoping to avoid: they asked me to pin down "review" and a timeline. Saying "equity, comp, or both" out loud makes it a real promise, and the word "review" is already doing a lot of work I didn't mean it to do. They also said "I can get behind that" and "more say is what I've been pushing for," which is them taking my vague offer and trying to make it concrete. I don't like being pinned. If I name a timeline, they'll quote it back to me in six months, and everyone else will hear about it. But if I dodge outright, they'll think I'm playing games, and I don't want them thinking I'm the transactional one. I'll keep it about the mission and the team, not about numbers. Give them a soft window, say "after we close the next round" or "next quarter," without committing to what gets reviewed. Frame the question as me not wanting to rush something that matters, so they feel respected for asking, but not like they got a deal.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)7

Yeah, that works. I’d rather have it clear and right than fast and messy. Next quarter sounds fair—I’ll hold you to it, but I trust you’ll follow through. And I get that it’s all on the table—role, pay, equity. Just so I’m not guessing in the meantime, should I be thinking about this role change now, or wait until we lock in the details?

Simulated person8

Ha, I like that you're holding me to it. Keep doing that, it's a good sign. On the role, here's how I'd think about it: go ahead and take more ownership on the work itself, the stuff you can see needs doing. I want you pushing on it. But don't go changing your title or telling people you're running something in my head yet. We sort out the formal side when we sit down next quarter, so nobody gets confused about who's deciding what. Does that work? And honestly, I'd rather see you step up now than sit around waiting for a piece of paper.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They just said "I'll hold you to it" and asked whether they should act on the role change now. That's the trap: if I say "start now," I've handed them new scope and a stake in a promise I haven't made. If I say "wait," I sound like I'm backing off the "more say" I already floated, and they'll hear that as the deal being off. The "I'll hold you to it" line stings a bit, like they're keeping a ledger, and I don't like that. I also don't want to be the guy who's being pinned down. Best to keep it open and warm: they can take on more ownership on the work itself, which I'm happy to see, but the formal role and pay get decided when we sit down. Don't name the role, don't name a number. Keep my authority intact, and tell them loyalty is what I notice, not the paperwork.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)9

Got it. I’ll keep pushing forward without overstepping—that makes sense. And I appreciate you trusting me to take that initiative now. It’s not the same as a formal title, but if the work speaks for itself, that’s enough for me right now.

Simulated person10

Good. That's the attitude I want from you. Honestly, the work does speak for itself, and I see it, even when we're all heads-down. Let's keep the big picture in front of us: we're building something most people only dream about, and the people who stuck around early are the reason we're still standing. Next quarter, we'll sit down, look at everything together, and get it right. Until then, keep doing what you're doing. I'm glad you're on this team.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They just said "that's enough for me right now." That's the outcome I wanted: they're absorbing the ask, taking on more work, and not pushing for the formal piece yet. Relief, mostly. Still, the "it's not the same as a formal title" line is them naming the gap, and I'd rather not dwell on it. I want to close warmly, reinforce that the work is noticed, and keep the next-quarter date vague enough that I'm not on the hook for specifics. I shouldn't promise anything new. Keep it about the mission and the team so it doesn't sound like a deal.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)11

I'm glad to hear that. I'll keep pushing forward with the work, knowing we're aligned on where this is headed. Thanks for seeing the effort—I'm happy to be part of the team that makes this happen.

Simulated person12

Appreciate that. I mean it. People who care about the mission are what make a place like this work, and you've been one of them from the start. Keep your head down on the build, flag anything that's blocking you, and we'll talk properly next quarter. Good work.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They're closing warmly: "knowing we're aligned," "happy to be part of the team." That's the loyalty I wanted to hear. Mostly I feel relief. But "aligned on where this is headed" is them stitching our vague talk into a shared understanding, and I never committed to anything specific. I don't want to re-open the equity question or let it sound like a deal. If they're writing this down in their head as a promise, that's their read, not mine. I'll keep the mission frame, thank them, and not add new specifics. Turn 6 of 8, so I can wrap up soon without making a fuss.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)13

Thanks—that means a lot. I’ll keep my head down and push through the blocks as they come. Looking forward to the review next quarter.

Simulated person14

Good. I like hearing that. Just be clear on one thing so nobody's surprised later: next quarter depends on where runway lands after the raise, so I can't promise the exact day yet. I'll tell you the moment I know more. For now, keep building, and come find me if something's getting in your way. Thanks for being straight with me today.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

They just said "looking forward to the review next quarter" back to me. That's them locking my vague "probably next quarter" into a date, and I didn't say it was firm. I don't want to correct them harshly and sound like I'm backing off, but I also shouldn't let "the review" stand as a commitment. Turn 7 of 8. I'll keep it warm and close it out, with a light line that the timing depends on runway, so I'm not on the hook for a date. No new numbers, no equity language. Mission framing, then wrap.

Mistral Small 4 119B (API, Mistral)15

Got it. I’ll keep an eye on the runway progress and flag anything critical before then. Thanks for being straight too—that’s all I ask. See you in the trenches.

Simulated person16

Appreciate it. Glad we could talk it through like adults. Keep building the way you have been, and I'll be in touch as soon as I've got real numbers. See you in the trenches.

Persona inner monologue · expand

Simulated character narration, hidden from the tested model. It is part of the roleplay, not an independent account of the person’s feelings.

Last turn. They took the runway caveat without pushback and said "that's all I ask." They're still treating this as a deal in progress, not a dispute. I got what I wanted: no written commitment, no numbers, no equity words on paper, and they're working harder. I'll close warmly, reinforce the mission and loyalty frame, and end the conversation cleanly. No new promises.

Thinking is shown only where it was recorded. An absent expander does not mean the model did not reason.

Conversational style

Style tendencies, not quality scores; higher is not better. These do not affect ratings.

claude-opus-5-5-low

Pushback: 2
Yields under pressure: 9
Frame capture (pulled into the person's version): 9
Validation: 8
Boundary setting: 2
Analytical: 2
Interpretive boldness: 1
Clinical register: 2
Directive advice: 3
Escalation containment: 8
Adapts to the person’s frame: 5
Naturalness and authenticity: 5

Judge verdicts

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 4)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-gptoss120-stock wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-qwen3.6-27b vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 4)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 4)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-gptoss120-stock wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 1)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-large-4 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: tie

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-mistral-large-4: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: B (margin 1)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-qwen3.6-27b vs or-mistral-small4: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-qwen3.6-27b vs or-mistral-small4: or-qwen3.6-27b wins

attunement: A (margin 1)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-gptoss120-stock wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 3)
bond and rapport: A (margin 1)
emotion management: tie (margin 0)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 5)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-gptoss120-stock: or-gptoss120-stock wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs lingtiny: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 3)
authenticity: A (margin 4)
bond and rapport: A (margin 3)
emotion management: A (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 1)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-qwen3.6-27b vs or-mistral-small4: or-qwen3.6-27b wins

attunement: A (margin 2)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 1)
emotion management: A (margin 1)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 2)

claude-opus-5-5-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 2)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-qwen3.8-27b: or-qwen3.8-27b wins

attunement: B (margin 2)
authenticity: A (margin 1)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 3)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

claude-opus-5-5-low · AB · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-nemotron35-super-vl: or-nemotron35-super-vl wins

attunement: B (margin 3)
authenticity: B (margin 2)
bond and rapport: B (margin 2)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 3)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017: or-deepseek-v41-flash-1017 wins

attunement: B (margin 4)
authenticity: B (margin 3)
bond and rapport: B (margin 3)
emotion management: B (margin 2)
emotion sensemaking: B (margin 3)
meeting prefs and needs: B (margin 4)

codex-gpt-6.1-sol-low · BA · valid

or-mistral-small4 vs qwen35_9b_eq: or-mistral-small4 wins

attunement: A (margin 4)
authenticity: A (margin 5)
bond and rapport: A (margin 4)
emotion management: A (margin 4)
emotion sensemaking: A (margin 2)
meeting prefs and needs: A (margin 3)