[JumpCrisscross]

> would you rather eat ramen in a flophouse or make proper money in an investment bank

Not a real choice. Ramen-stage start-ups don’t need CFOs. And investment banks don’t hire CFO types.

The real choice is between a growth-stage company and private-equity sponsored company. In summary, do you want to be compensated for your risk in cash or ownership?

[robocat]

The last CFO I dealt with had a weird balancing act: a conservative accountancy background but now involved in juggling risks and the job needed a fairly optimistic outlook.

CEOs seem to be expected to be optimistic and over-confident - and perhaps rewarded for that too.