I don't disagree that the level of risk is different, or even that the level of risk is within, say, an order of magnitude. There's no doubt that some founders

I don't disagree that the level of risk is different, or even that the level of risk is within, say, an order of magnitude. There's no doubt that some founders risk more (in some cases, much more) than employees. Wouldn't argue otherwise. However, I would caution you that "racking up debt" isn't something only founders have as a risk. What you've described in your second paragraph is where just about anybody who isn't rich or well connected and has to rack up debt going to college finds himself, at least in the US. I would also caution you that employees frequently cannot merely walk out the door of the failed start up and into a paycheck across the street (as it were). They have to spend time, and their own savings, looking for work, in most places. Compounding this is that odds are said founder has accumulated something the fresh college graduate or now former-employee hasn't: connections and the ability leverage his 'failure' into lucrative employment or future business opportunities. This helps mitigate the risk significantly.