Seeing a friend of mine go through that rigmarole more than once, my observations are that zombie startups simply aren't nice places to work, it's always crunch

Seeing a friend of mine go through that rigmarole more than once, my observations are that zombie startups simply aren't nice places to work, it's always crunch time, you're always piling on tech debt, and wiping your ass with the equity grant will serve you better than waiting for it to vest. The culture can turn hostile in an instant, and toxic management hires can come out of nowhere and upset the apple cart just to make their company look good for the mirage of an aquihire. The founders don't give two shits about your career, mental health, or really anything, just meeting the next milestone.