It's great to get the answers to these questions, and I'm all in favor of transparency. If you're joining a startup, however, you should realize the majority o

It's great to get the answers to these questions, and I'm all in favor of transparency. If you're joining a startup, however, you should realize the majority of the shareholders of a company can make a decision at any time to make a deal with a 3rd party which introduces enough dilution to make your shares/options worth very little. Even if it means amending the charter of the company or rewriting the shareholder agreement. They can also grant additional shares or options to one or more people which shift the percentage of your ownership in the company. The most important thing (apart from thinking the company's mission is good and achievable and the culture a good fit etc) is that you can trust the majority shareholder(s). Or, as others have indicated, just focus on cash compensation. Then again, if you can't prove to yourself that the founder/majority-shareholder is trustworthy, you should run away anyhow, since the cap table will be the least of your worries if there's a lack of ethics. By the way, my experience working for a startup (I've also worked for large companies, and for the government) is that they are difficult but if you like independence, challenges, and the potential for large rewards (with risk!), they're great.