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I don't think this is a very good take. 1) Startups may not give you the full picture, but it's very unlikely they are going to straight up 'lie' to you - that

I don't think this is a very good take. 1) Startups may not give you the full picture, but it's very unlikely they are going to straight up 'lie' to you - that would be bad, and likely illegal. 2) Yes, almost anything can happen with equity, and when it gets shifty, bad things will happen so you have to have a reasonable take on it - which, admittedly is really hard for most people. I think it's better to understand that there's going to be a lot of risk in equity, and it's not something you should bank on too hard.

ttymck 4y ago
I appreciate your response, and I know many share your perspective. I want to clarify that I am not claiming all startups founders will _lie_ to you. What I am saying is that while their statements may be true now, it is highly unlikely what they tell you will remain true, and whether or not it does will likely be out of their control. Parallels can be seen in Oculus' infamous "guarantee" that they would not require Facebook integration. The deal will be altered, sooner or later. It _is_ really hard for most people, because equity is confusing and exciting and sexy. I'll continue to expound a cynical approach because the other side is full of powerful, wealthy stakeholders who have a lot to gain from wide-eyed engineers being misinformed.