[mjolk]

I'm considering what you say, but it doesn't ring true to my interpersonal experiences at all.

> Think about it. You are asking human beings to make personal sacrifices for no personal gain, but for the sole purpose of making your dream a reality.

My team has (real) equity and I like to believe they see the worth of the product. What attracted me to startups when I entered the game was the sense of ownership and agency in projects. That and work can/should come with a sense of reward.

> so you could ask if there is any personal trauma they are trying to avoid.

I think this would be somewhat inappropriate to ask "hey, so do you put in extra hours because you don't feel whole?". Everyone I work with knows they can come to me, even if he/she needs to take his/her house keys and to go to a second location to chat.

> You could also consider hiring hourly.

There's room for hourly consultants, but that hardly makes a team.

[sgt101]

>There's room for hourly consultants, but that hardly makes a team.

nor does 5*10 + Sunday.

[jressey]

You may be an exceptional case. I do know people that are unreasonably driven, but it's always been for their own success.

> My team has (real) equity and I like to believe they see the worth of the product.

Hey, if you're 'paying' them for their time and they believe their equity is valuable, whether it is or not, sounds like everybody wins.

> What attracted me to startups when I entered the game was the sense of ownership and agency in projects. That and work can/should come with a sense of reward.

That to me sounds like someone who's been had by a capitalistic culture. Unless you're a winner, then good for you.

[bitwize]

> My team has (real) equity and I like to believe they see the worth of the product.

You're paying your team in Bison Dollars: their compensation has value if and only if the world-domination scheme goes off without a hitch. But that's a big if. The value of the product won't be clear until it goes to market, but the value of the time they put in is lost forever irrespective of the market value of your finished product. Meanwhile, your team's landlords won't accept that equity as rent payment.

[halbritt]

Unless they're a founder, the amount of equity you're giving them, no matter how much, is insufficient to ask someone to regularly work more than 40 hours a week.

Sorry man, it just doesn't work. People will do it, mostly young people. You can take advantage of that, but guess what, that makes you an asshole.

If my employees can't get their work done in 40 hours, then they aren't planning their work effectively. If, as a manager and a leader, I have a duty and a responsibility for the success of my team, then I must make them have a reasonable work/life balance.

I've known a ton of people happy to work until they were quickly burned out, but their output was usually a bunch of sound and fury representing nothing.

[st3v3r]

"My team has (real) equity"

So does every other startup. Most of the time it either amounts to nothing, or is dilluted away.

"What attracted me to startups when I entered the game was the sense of ownership and agency in projects. That and work can/should come with a sense of reward."

How do I pay my rent with a sense of reward?

[gerbilly]

> How do I pay my rent with a sense of reward?

Reminds me of trying to pay rent with Exposure!

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/exposure