4 ms·

While I agree with this, and matches some of my experience, I'd like to collect more data point. Anyone willing to share such stories?

• georgemcbay 12y ago
  I don't really have much interesting to share other than "ditto", except only once did I get something like a "3 month salary" payout. Another time there was an exit but the stock ended up so diluted that I was "underwater" (except due to some bad timing I also got hit with AMT on fictional earnings that took a few years to even out on) and a couple of other times the company simply failed to exit in any way. Working for startups can be fun, but always treat your equity as a lottery ticket because that's all it is (worse in a lot of ways since the rules behind lotteries are pretty solid whereas there are a number of ways companies can fuck you when it comes to equity even if you "win); if you trade a lot of salary for those tickets, you're being a fool.
  • gaius 12y ago
    Yes like I say, going 3 for 3 I was extraordinarily lucky and even then my total payout came to less than 1 year of my present salary. I'd laugh in the face of anyone now who offered me a pay-cut-for-equity deal.