[pc86]

I'm not as pessimistic as most here, but start-up employee really is the worst of all worlds.

1. Reports vary but the general consensus seems to be lower pay than a Fortune 500 or similar for more demanding hours.

2. If you're offered equity it's an insulting fractional percentage (how can you be offered 0.1% and not let the profanities fly?), and will need to use actual money to exercise the options.

3. There are tons of stories of completely incompetent and/or corrupt founders literally locking the door on employees (Zirtual et al).

4. I'd be remiss if I didn't at least bring up the insane (comparatively) COL of the Bay Area compared to even other large US metropolitan areas.

I'm not going to start railing about VC-istan because I do think the degree to which the system is rigged gets overblown, but if you're going to be involved in start-ups it doesn't make sense to be anything other than a founder, C-level-for-hire employee, or investor IMO.