Working for a startup means accepting poverty wages for lottery ticket equity that's almost certainly worthless


Agree

  • Most startups fail within five years
  • Equity value is purely speculative
  • Below market salary for years
  • Founders get rich employees get burned
  • Vesting cliffs trap you in bad situations

Disagree

  • Upside potential worth the risk
  • Learning and growth opportunities exceed corporate
  • Some equity becomes genuinely valuable
  • Mission driven work more fulfilling
  • Early employees shape company culture

Your turn

Where do you stand?

Take your stance

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