I disagree with this post so much! I felt anxious just reading it. Of course there is always an opportunity cost, and of course that tiny startup that offers h

I disagree with this post so much! I felt anxious just reading it. Of course there is always an opportunity cost, and of course that tiny startup that offers half the salary you’re worth might become the next unicorn costing you millions in equity because you didn’t join when you had the chance. But that is FOMO and you can’t live your life this way! I realized this the older I grew: stability is good for your mental health and money isn’t everything. I won’t take a job that pays below market rate, period. And if I have a choice between a “boring” job at a mature and stable company vs a frantic startup where you have to be 200% just to feel like you’re standing still, I’ll always take the stable job. “Personal brand” be damned. With the boring job I can also afford do be 9–5, leave work at work, and realize how meaningless these business problems are outside of work! Really, there will be another 8h tomorrow to tackle these TPS reports, nothing is going to happen if it’s not done today but you’ll be healthier for not worrying about it too much. By working the 9-5 job, you get more time to do things that actually matter (in my opinion), like stepping away from the keyboard, living your life, spending time with your family. But with the early Uber, you don’t get that: your peers are working long hours and so you have to do the same just to keep up. And for what? Meanwhile, your life passes you by and it’s 5 years of your limited life you’ll never get back. But you’ve made Uber shareholders richer. When you calculate your per hour rate after all the unpaid overtime, it’s not even worth it from that perspective. I’ve never worked in the valley but what then author describes sounds like a recipe for burning out multiple times in your youth. That also has a tremendous cost which dwarfs staying at a boring job for a few years longer.