Unless you are working for a charity or in a field like healthcare with direct patient care, buying into the vision of a company that you yourself do not actual

Unless you are working for a charity or in a field like healthcare with direct patient care, buying into the vision of a company that you yourself do not actually own is one of the stupidest and most naive things you can do. The more you treat it like an exchange of your time and skills for money, the better you will be. Otherwise, people will ruthlessly exploit you and then leave you out to dry at the whenever is good for them. Ask yourself, how likely is the startup owner to conscientiously think about your needs if for example you end up with a sick family member and need to take extended time off to take care of them? Will they try their best to “go above and beyond” and support you in this trying time financially? Will they care that you have been conscientious, or will they be thinking how much money they are wasting on you and looking to get rid of you as soon as the opportunity presents itself.