That argument is true for just about any company's benefits. Even without this, startups generally offer much less in the way of life insurance, health insuranc

That argument is true for just about any company's benefits. Even without this, startups generally offer much less in the way of life insurance, health insurance, time off, and various miscellaneous benefits. All of these provide a much higher quality of life to the family than their absence, and most of them even operate while the employee is alive. :-) If a spouse is already supportive enough of the startup choice to forgo all that? I doubt the extra google life insurance will change their mind. (Incidentally, I also think that the most responsible thing you can do if you have a family and you're founding or joining a startup, is to buy your own high-value life insurance policy immediately.)