[mahyarm]

After working for a start up for a while, a couple of other things that would make equity far more attractive compared to Google paying $80k/yr more in total compensation:

1. Non-expiring options on leaving the company. Many SV companies have options expire in a couple of months after leaving. Some have them expire immediately upon firing.

This does remove some of the Schrödinger's golden handcuffs effects of equity, but start up equity is not liquid. It can be tough to expect someone to put a significant chunk of their savings into a company and deal with the tax BS just to purchase equity so they can move on. Much of the stress of start up equity I've realized comes from the non-liquid nature of the stock and the fact you don't have control over the company. Many companies want to completely control second market behavior when private, which removes even more liquidity. Much of the stress will just go away if I could keep the options.

2. A consistent pattern in working for various companies is giving the stock & employment contracts after hiring. From now on I'm making it a condition of accepting an offer to receive all contracts, stock contracts, proxy agreements, etc that I would be asked to sign. If you have a surprise call option on purchased stock, no way I will work for that company.

[VladRussian2]

basically it is a great filter - people who have good employment aren't going into startups because numbers just don't work for them as well as being handcuffed for a number of years and a risk of losing a lot, basically all of your sweat equity, just on the whim. This works though for youngsters just out or a few years after college where they need to gather experience and corporate salary is smaller.