[nieksand]

Three quick thoughts:

* The base compensation and benefits alone, even if RSUs became worthless, are still serious money.

* I would expect startups founded and running in today's boom market to fair worse than established firms. Short runways, limited revenue, and a sudden contraction in funding availability is not a great mix.

* If the lucrative comp packages of the big companies collapses, the world of startups will still be there for you. You'll have the added advantage of a very healthy bank balance going in.