Considering how long you would have to stay to get anything from an equity event (4-8 yrs?) you realistically can't work for 10 startups. If you luck out and wo

Considering how long you would have to stay to get anything from an equity event (4-8 yrs?) you realistically can't work for 10 startups. If you luck out and work for one that does have some success, you will probably find that, unlike a VC, you don't have "2X preferences" or an anti-dilution arrangement so you get nothing or next to nothing. In the meantime you may have traded your youth for magic beans - putting off things like getting a house, a girlfriend, etc because you are working long hours for sub-market pay. That is the real tragedy.