I used to think this way. Worked at 3 different start-ups, actually. I lost a lot of my good years and what's worse when you're working so much is you can't ev

I used to think this way. Worked at 3 different start-ups, actually. I lost a lot of my good years and what's worse when you're working so much is you can't even take care of yourself very well. Plus any type of "payout" from equity or similar is incredibly rare and even when it happens it's even more rare for it to be structured in your favor (you likely could be making more elsewhere for less time). If you actually enjoy it then go ahead. But personally I think it's a mistake for the vast majority of folks and I don't think it's something that should be ever expected. In my experience it has always pointed to poor management. Calling companies better run "easier" is just a cheap shot at putting them down. Time is your most important asset.