Paul Graham has a good essay on the subject: http://www.paulgraham.com/equity.html http://www.paulgraham.com/equity.html I highly recommend reading his other e

Paul Graham has a good essay on the subject: http://www.paulgraham.com/equity.html http://www.paulgraham.com/equity.html I highly recommend reading his other essays as well. I think Joel Spolsky also wrote on the subject.