There's also a compounding effect. A vow of poverty founder is going to try to get his first ten employees to take a similar vow, just out of principle and (may

There's also a compounding effect. A vow of poverty founder is going to try to get his first ten employees to take a similar vow, just out of principle and (maybe) spite. So the VCs are essentially trying to create a culture of financial stress in hopes that it will motivate. I've gotten offers from a handful of startups, but turned them all down because they wouldn't meet the salary offers I was getting from other, more stable employers. They said the equity would make up the difference, but I didn't view that as base comp, I viewed it as risk maintenance in case the startup failed.