Odds of success can be fairly valued in an equity offer despite success odds being low (the expected value of highly speculative equity, vesting on a schedule,

Odds of success can be fairly valued in an equity offer despite success odds being low (the expected value of highly speculative equity, vesting on a schedule, equals a certain amount of cash per year.) The conventional wisdom is to just take cash because that comes out ahead most of the time and you have to personally fully value the money from a successful exit to make a salary plus equity offer be worth it to you. But the math on early startup offers certainly can be and sometimes is fair. Certainly agree that the business culture of the sturdy, monied middle class should be preserved.