There is a fine line and it comes down to the situation at hand; ultimately I don't disagree with you, I've extended my early guys 4% each on top of their salar

There is a fine line and it comes down to the situation at hand; ultimately I don't disagree with you, I've extended my early guys 4% each on top of their salary. The thing is, not everyone is founder-material either. Prior to hiring our first two employees, I chased this deal over 9 months... most people would not forfeit a salary and other opportunities for that long. It was a rather painful sacrifice that's also taxed my relationship and quality of life. I'm cautious of people who parade around "entitlements" because the idea can become political/toxic and disrupt a team -- you gotta earn those stripes. I hope you are considering starting your own company, things are a lot different when you're the one responsible for everyone's paycheck and returning money to investors.