You are assuming some sort of ideal case where both parties act in good faith. First of all, you have to make an educated guess what demands would be acceptabl

You are assuming some sort of ideal case where both parties act in good faith. First of all, you have to make an educated guess what demands would be acceptable based on how the company presents ifself to you. If you ask for things that are normally considered unacceptable you are just exposing yourself as a person who is unsatisfied with his position and there is huge risk of being denied any further development with this company or even fired. For example, it might be reasonable to ask for 20-30% raise maximum. But if you have to ask for 200-300% salary raise, in a company that just told you budget is tight and there is not even enough money for legal fees to award shares, then save your breath. Such an extreme case is quite rare, but I've seen it happen. Most cases wouldn't be as bad, but you have to ask yourself if your demands have a good chance to be accepted before confronting the company, otherwise make sure you have an offer on the table. Nobody is paying you for the risks of asking too many questions.