The difference in scale is 4-5 orders of magnitude here, probably more. And at such different scales, I don't see how the same rules apply. For instance, tryin

The difference in scale is 4-5 orders of magnitude here, probably more. And at such different scales, I don't see how the same rules apply. For instance, trying to increase the value of USD with your work when billions of people on the planet are doing the same is basically impossible and unpredictable even if you're a great researcher / business leader / whatever, to say the least. The same is not the case with YC equity, where you can expect, with a fairly high probability, a significant increase in your equity if your research contributes hundreds of millions of dollars worth to a YC startup. I'm not trying to be poke holes in the idea or anything like that, just genuinely wondering -- and the analogy to USD doesn't seem like the right answer.