Yes, but it seems that the terms give the VC the power to do whatever they want, and so you are really just hoping they won't hurt you, and you have no way to p

Yes, but it seems that the terms give the VC the power to do whatever they want, and so you are really just hoping they won't hurt you, and you have no way to protect yourself if they choose to. Why would a VC not strike a deal with a founder, fund 2 years of your blood/sweat/tears and then when they feel like they've got enough value from you, simply take away your equity and fire you? Isn't that just good business? They get to have their cake and eat it too. If the only thing preventing this from happening is the good will of your counterparty, when would it ever be a deal worth making? Even if you like your investor, or they like you, they could always sell their interest to someone who doesn't.