> rather it is in stock that vests over time, and the stock can fall At a public company the stock based compensation is nearly equivalent financially (ignorin

> rather it is in stock that vests over time, and the stock can fall At a public company the stock based compensation is nearly equivalent financially (ignoring taxes) to getting 4yrs of comp up front that for a period of time can only be used to invest in your employer. That exposes you to a lot of risk, but on average it results in higher pay since on average the markets are going up (not just in tech) and you're able to invest money you don't yet have (contrasted with, e.g., if stocks were awarded according to current market rate). That risk profile won't suit everyone, but it's not inherently bad. > you're rewarded with a shitty 1br apartment because that is all your cash comp can buy Rent isn't thaat high. A nice oceanfront 2br goes for $3k/mo including utilities. Plus, if you really wanted to dip into stock-based comp for rent, your signing bonus will more than cover the difference for the several months till your first grant. > because you need to write and debug code on a whiteboard within 30 minutes. Yeah, that can be pretty shitty. It works out for a lot of people, but I'm certain that process overlooks good engineers.