My first "startup" was a Rocket Internet company where I knew I'd have little career future, that my pay would be way below market, and that I'd get no equity (

My first "startup" was a Rocket Internet company where I knew I'd have little career future, that my pay would be way below market, and that I'd get no equity (I was fortunate that the person who recruited me was upfront about it). Three years and two more RI ventures later, I've observed enough and figured out what to learn, learnt it and even found both my market and co-founders. This happened because of the breadth of work that needs to get done in a startup/"small underfunded mostly online company" and the lack of people available to do it, meaning little bureaucracy and much more responsibility, with immediate feedback from the real world on your performance. Career switches are hard and sometimes, starting at the bottom again, risk included, can be worthwhile. I do agree with you that few people hired as "employees" should expect to "get rich". But provided you are willing to observe and learn, especially learn what to learn, it can still be worth it, even just to see what a hyped up "5-at-a-time" startup looks like from the inside and the signs of what to avoid.