You're half right. I'm more than happy to work myself for the bone, but I'm not willing to do it when I hold all the risk and others hold all of the upside. The

You're half right. I'm more than happy to work myself for the bone, but I'm not willing to do it when I hold all the risk and others hold all of the upside. The thing about today's startups is that the founders hold zero risk, they get paid good salaries and they keep the lion's share of the company for themselves while asking their engineers to bleed for them in exchange for their table scraps. All in the name of "interesting projects" and "fun, exciting environments". I've sold one company, failed another, and am working on a third. Between consulting and full-time employment I've worked directly wit about 50 start-ups over the past 12 years. I know dozens of founders who are now millionaires, even two who are now hundred millionaires. Except for the fluke of associates I know who went through Google's IPO, and through Youtube's acquisitions, I only know about a handful of engineers who have become millionaires working for a startup.