>>My question, is it out of the question for somebody in my position to ask for 10-15% equity? 10-15% seems too high. As you mention, the 0.5% equity is more c

>>My question, is it out of the question for somebody in my position to ask for 10-15% equity? 10-15% seems too high. As you mention, the 0.5% equity is more common However, I think that it is hard to come up with a percentage without knowing how big the pie is. If you expect the company to be worth $200million in n years, 0.5% is a great number (as long as n is reasonable). If you think the company may be worth $100K in n years, 0.5% is peanuts. Perhaps you should hedge your bets with a decent salary + some equity.