[bonobo886]

Does your platform accept early employees as well? The first 10 employees are essentially founders and while they typically do not receive as much of the upside as a founder, they do bear the same risk. Allowing an early employee to diversify that risk would be a huge value add to a much wider potential network.

[geoburke]

It's something we're looking into. Would be a great market But for clarity, it's generally understood the employees do not bear the same risk as the founders, who contributed months/years of sweat equity as well as actual capital. Oh and risk of lawsuits.

An employee is paid day 1 and the risk beared does not surpass opportunity cost of a paid job at a successful startup vs a failed startup.

[khazhoux]

> who contributed months/years of sweat equity as well as actual capital

Very often not true in silicon valley. The only sweat equity most founders contributed was toiling through coffees and get-togethers on University Ave or SOMA for a few months until they got the seed money. Then they hire engineer #1 at 1/80th their own equity.

Founders at funded startups pay themselves.

During an acquihire, founders get executive roles, salaries, bonuses, and equity, while "non-founders" are just back to the grind.

The notion of "founder risk" in SV-style startups just doesn't exist like it did a generation or two ago.

[bonobo886]

oh I completely disagree, early employees are often not paid on day 1, and when they are paid, they still do bear a huge risk - often taking much lower salary than market for the opportunity of equity upside. The risk the early employee takes is often the same as the founder's, with less upside.