Flip the argument the other way. Startups want to underpay for talent. Google isn't overpaying... the big companies aren't overpaying, the startups are under

Flip the argument the other way. Startups want to underpay for talent. Google isn't overpaying... the big companies aren't overpaying, the startups are under paying. Being a startup isn't an excuse, and you're asking people to take less pay to work at a place that has a decent chance (compared to established places) of going under. You're asking engineers to take on more risk for less pay. If you aren't funded enough to pay your engineers what they deserve, you aren't funded enough to hire more... end of story.