[balajiviswanath]

At this stage of your career, you should think more about the experience added by the job than at the numerical salary number. If you work with the right people with right ideas, that $30K (minus taxes) can be compensated in no time.

As another Microsoftie who quit Redmond for startup world at the same stage, I would advice you to consider the following:

1. Is the work they do at the startup quite exciting and promising?

2. Are the founders great people to work with?

3. Do the founders and the investors have a lot of connections?

4. Is there some press coverage around the startup?

5. Do love working at a startup? Do you plan to start one in the future?

6. What is the scope for learning at the startup vs. learning at MSFT?

I found that after a couple of years, there were less things to learn at MSFT and was entering a plateau. In the long run the marginal money matters less than an opportunity to showcase your full potentials and get the right contacts. YMMV.