[shmapf]

I've been given the "we're a small start-up so can't afford to pay what you're currently on" line. I believed it at the time, and told them that's ok, I understand but I'm not willing to take such a big cut.

Then they multiplied the offer salary by 2.5X.

This dishonesty left me with such a bad taste in my mouth I no longer wanted to work for them and declined.

I've personally found honesty to be the most effective way to negotiate. Identify what you want, and what they want, then you've got nothing to hide and can have a grown up conversation to see if you can find a mutually beneficial agreement.

[landa]

This doesn't seem dishonest to me. I'd do the same thing. If my company is truly strapped for cash, I'd offer a low salary (to "keep the lights on") and give more equity instead. If someone told me their bills are too high and they need more cash, I'd double the salary but give almost no equity. The whole point of going to a startup is to have ownership of something small that you grow to become something big, so you usually don't care too much about the salary.