It's not taboo, most people just think it is, especially in industries where there is a lineup of qualified applicants. I pick salary every time, the equity is

It's not taboo, most people just think it is, especially in industries where there is a lineup of qualified applicants. I pick salary every time, the equity is fuck all in most cases. There isn't a mission, it's a job, in exchange for my time I require money, as the founders will say they are taking most of the risk, so you should get most of the money. Dealing with these questions upfront is the way to get rid of people who don't know what they are doing who are wasting your time. If the business is wildly successful as the founders claim it will be then they should be encouraging you to take less equity rather than more. No sane investor only invests in one startup, which is what they are asking wrt equity. It's far better to make lots of money and invest that money in a variety of startups.