In the 2000s startup workers tended to do better financially and be better than their peers at large firms such as HP, Delll, Cisco and others. Even discounting

In the 2000s startup workers tended to do better financially and be better than their peers at large firms such as HP, Delll, Cisco and others. Even discounting equity, the compensation was higher. These individuals went on to start firms using the experience and money that they acquired. If you contrast this with modern tech workers, while you can get the experience in multiple ways - you can only get the compensation at large firms. Few startups pay well enough to give employees financial freedom. Add to this, many “startups” are simply small businesses that are pretending to grow and be tech focused.