You just have to use your common sense. If the company hasn't raised much cash yet, then it makes sense that they might be tight with the purse strings. You'd e

You just have to use your common sense. If the company hasn't raised much cash yet, then it makes sense that they might be tight with the purse strings. You'd expect this to be a temporary situation. In general though, the salary of the employee dwarfs the cost of providing a top notch working environment, so it's in the startup's best interest to maximize their already large investment in the employee.