I actually think the 0.5% was very fair, or even generous. I didn't have much startup experience before that, and it was my first "real" job. They were also taking a big gamble with the relocation and immigration lawyer fees.
The other thing is that more equity probably wouldn't have motivated me to stay longer, unless I was a cofounder. I really didn't enjoy working for the company. I felt like I didn't really have any impact on anything, the company didn't really need me, and I just didn't like the company culture very much. So I tried to estimate how many shares I would need to hit my early retirement target ($3M), and I left after I had vested enough shares.
I knew that the company would be very successful, and I left a huge amount of money on the table, but I have zero regrets. I've been much happier since I left, and it's been much more fun to work on my own startups.
I actually think the 0.5% was very fair, or even generous. I didn't have much startup experience before that, and it was my first "real" job. They were also taking a big gamble with the relocation and immigration lawyer fees.
The other thing is that more equity probably wouldn't have motivated me to stay longer, unless I was a cofounder. I really didn't enjoy working for the company. I felt like I didn't really have any impact on anything, the company didn't really need me, and I just didn't like the company culture very much. So I tried to estimate how many shares I would need to hit my early retirement target ($3M), and I left after I had vested enough shares.
I knew that the company would be very successful, and I left a huge amount of money on the table, but I have zero regrets. I've been much happier since I left, and it's been much more fun to work on my own startups.