Correction: 80 hrs/wk available for the unpaid CTO. You are thinking like an employee would by speaking of a 40 hour work week. To the OP: choose the startup i

Correction: 80 hrs/wk available for the unpaid CTO. You are thinking like an employee would by speaking of a 40 hour work week. To the OP: choose the startup if it is your life, your mission, and you can directly build value. If you do not believe in the value-proposition, then find something else. There are plenty of startups, plenty of growing companies all over the planet. Find one solving a problem you personally care about that also has a requisite amount of upside for your personal risk preference.