[jsprogrammer]

You are assuming the company sticks around you with that salary for 20 years, but that the options never become valuable.

It would take incredible foresight for a company to correctly manage to pull off such a feat.

[mikeash]

I'm merely assuming that your working life is at least that long, and that the salary/options tradeoff is something you can make throughout, as you change jobs.

If you go hardcore for options, then you might take every job with a reduced salary and a chance of striking it rich. If you're totally against then you might take every job with a more established company (or unconventional startup) that pays better. The tradeoff of potential riches versus more certain earnings is as I described.