I took away this: if you're neither negotiating a higher salary nor equity, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Also, always negotiate from a positiv

I took away this: if you're neither negotiating a higher salary nor equity, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Also, always negotiate from a positive perspective. It's much more powerful to say "I believe in this company, I would like more equity in exchange for the value I provide" instead of "I don't believe in unicorns, give me cold hard cash". Especially if you know the extra salary will be hard to come by. Your mileage may vary. I work at an established company now after a working at a startup where multiple life-saving investment rounds wiped out common shareholders (several times).