Paying top of market (in cash, like Netflix) is tough for companies that don't have a very large revenue stream. When you start, if you try to pay Netflix-like

Paying top of market (in cash, like Netflix) is tough for companies that don't have a very large revenue stream. When you start, if you try to pay Netflix-like salaries, you'll run out of money very fast. The traditional workaround for startups had been to award equity instead, but for a variety of legitimate reasons, workers these days are cynical about the value of startup equity.