The difference is that at a startup you as one of a handful of individuals actually make or break the company. You should be getting sufficient equity to make

The difference is that at a startup you as one of a handful of individuals actually make or break the company. You should be getting sufficient equity to make it worthwhile, and yes you should be wise enough not to burn yourself out, but you also need to be ready to go the extra mile to give yourself a chance at success. That doesn't mean let companies take advantage of you, but there has to be some mutual level of trust and commitment between early employees or a startup will surely fail. For larger companies it's more transactional in nature: they have a job and a budget, and you have your own interests. The agreement you come to is more of a coldly calculated negotiation.