This, in a nutshell, is why I have turned down every offer so far to leave my corp job (attained through acquisition, amusingly) for a startup. The equity offer

This, in a nutshell, is why I have turned down every offer so far to leave my corp job (attained through acquisition, amusingly) for a startup. The equity offered was simply inadequate to make up for the massive increase in effort required. Plot the compensation over time, and I'm much better off now, especially considering the other things I've been able to accomplish while not being on a 90-hour week startup deathmarch.