I've worked at several startups. If you are new to stock options, I think that the different ways those options can work and be diluted is the hardest part to g

I've worked at several startups. If you are new to stock options, I think that the different ways those options can work and be diluted is the hardest part to grok. Personally, I never had to 'take a haircut in comp' to work at a startup, but I've had bad stock deals. I would say that each of my startup experiences had some dark times, it wasn't always easy by any measure. At the same time, each of those experiences provided a lot of personal growth and opened other opportunities for me.