Yes, you want people who are passionate and want to work hard, but there are sacrifices made to work 18 hour days, and people are much more likely to make those

Yes, you want people who are passionate and want to work hard, but there are sacrifices made to work 18 hour days, and people are much more likely to make those sacrifices when their upside is in the millions rather than the thousands. The difference between a 60 hour week and an 80 hour week is pretty significant in terms of personal sacrifice. No one says "I'm going to slack off", it's just that the founders are inherently (financially) more motivated. If the money isn't a motivation, then the founders should have no problem giving out most of their own equity.