Why should VCs get a 30-50% return on what they put in, but engineers don't get a 30-50% return on the salary they sacrificed to actually do the damn work of the startup?
Because we live in a capitalistic society where supply/demand ultimately controls price, not what's fair.
I.e. On average, engineers get paid what they do because if they demand any more, another peer of equal caliber, on average, will take their job. VC's get paid, on average, what they do because no other VC will do it for less.
Whether or not that's true, you have little to no power to change it.
Unless you have some genuine superhuman value for justice , you'll be better off spending your energy learning how to work within the system versus being angry/complaining about it.
Except that equity is worth nowhere near the equity that VCs get, and in the majority of cases does not represent a reasonable return over the opportunity cost of taking the higher salary instead.
I.e. On average, engineers get paid what they do because if they demand any more, another peer of equal caliber, on average, will take their job. VC's get paid, on average, what they do because no other VC will do it for less.