> But you should ensure that, as an employee, you are > compensated for the risk you are taking. "Oh no I lost my job" risk is already priced into current m

> But you should ensure that, as an employee, you are > compensated for the risk you are taking. "Oh no I lost my job" risk is already priced into current market-rate salaries. A startup may have a greater chance of laying off an employee, but the risk to the employee must also consider how quickly they're able to get another job at market rates. If the job market is tight, the risk is much lower. What is unwise is to accept less than a market rate salary plus deferred compensation without thinking like an investor. At the very least one should consider how much their time is worth relative to the cost of investing, i.e. "H hours of my time at market rates is worth $D, therefore if I were investing $D of my time into this startup I'd receive C common shares."