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I know someone who took a salary cut early on in a startup that hit it big. I always heard about the great things coming from the company, not "omg, look how mu

I know someone who took a salary cut early on in a startup that hit it big. I always heard about the great things coming from the company, not "omg, look how much my shares are worth!" I think it's horrible when startup founders prey on ill-informed employees who they see as gullible, promising the world with no caution. However, what happened to wanting to work for a startup because you care about the mission? People take smaller salaries to become teachers, some become touring musicians, some forego healthy salaries to travel the world more, and some people work at startups. Just because not every situation is ideal (fun startup + high equity + cushy lifestyle), that doesn't mean it's not the right decision for some. Do what will make you happy and fulfilled rather than something to check off on a list for making a successful career. Edit: Plus you don't have to stick around for four years at a below market salary. If you're pulling your weight and the company gets traction, you should expect a reasonable salary (not $50K below market rate for four years in a row like the article implies).

jrochkind1 13y ago
I certainly agree that there's nothing wrong with prioritizing other things (like interesting work, for just one, there are others) over maximizing your money. What's galling is when someone ELSE makes big bucks off your hard work, and you don't. Then you often feel taken advantage of. That isn't generally happening when you take a smaller salary to become a teacher or a touring musician or to travel the world more. And when it DOES happen (say, to touring musicians, sure), the person it happens to generally feels exploited. Even if they had done the same thing for the same money _without_ someone else profiting big time off their work, they would have felt good about it. But if you decide you don't mind someone else trying to make huge bucks off your hard work, without sharing them with you, because you enjoy the thing you're working hard on that much and it's all cool... I guess I've got no reason to say there's anything wrong with that, if that's your thing. But in reality, it's the difference between working at a startup with equity on the same order of magnitude as the founders, but the startup doesn't end up succeeding (Oh well, it was worth a shot, and I still made enough to pay rent and live comfortably, and I found it rewarding) vs working at a startup that is VERY succesful and the founders are rich... but you wound up with much less money than you could have had working somewhere else, perhaps with just as interesting work. How likely are you to find the latter one rewarding, after it shakes out?
- jonathanjaeger 13y ago
  Fair enough I understand that. I think there's a difference between founders sacrificing their time and money on something that can fail easily and an employee who makes a little less than market salary (and works hard). It doesn't have to be a startup for you to work crazy hours or be personally invested. But there are many situations in between the extremes that make it seem unfair for early employees not to share in the potential spoils.

jrochkind1 13y ago

I certainly agree that there's nothing wrong with prioritizing other things (like interesting work, for just one, there are others) over maximizing your money. What's galling is when someone ELSE makes big bucks off your hard work, and you don't. Then you often feel taken advantage of. That isn't generally happening when you take a smaller salary to become a teacher or a touring musician or to travel the world more. And when it DOES happen (say, to touring musicians, sure), the person it happens to generally feels exploited. Even if they had done the same thing for the same money _without_ someone else profiting big time off their work, they would have felt good about it. But if you decide you don't mind someone else trying to make huge bucks off your hard work, without sharing them with you, because you enjoy the thing you're working hard on that much and it's all cool... I guess I've got no reason to say there's anything wrong with that, if that's your thing. But in reality, it's the difference between working at a startup with equity on the same order of magnitude as the founders, but the startup doesn't end up succeeding (Oh well, it was worth a shot, and I still made enough to pay rent and live comfortably, and I found it rewarding) vs working at a startup that is VERY succesful and the founders are rich... but you wound up with much less money than you could have had working somewhere else, perhaps with just as interesting work. How likely are you to find the latter one rewarding, after it shakes out?

jonathanjaeger 13y ago
Fair enough I understand that. I think there's a difference between founders sacrificing their time and money on something that can fail easily and an employee who makes a little less than market salary (and works hard). It doesn't have to be a startup for you to work crazy hours or be personally invested. But there are many situations in between the extremes that make it seem unfair for early employees not to share in the potential spoils.