[jt2190]

  > I think there's a whole lot of taking-advantage happening 
  > in startup hiring...

One warning sign of this is when the salary is below market rates. Founding members take low salaries and lots of preferred equity (and lots of risk), while employees take a market salary and a few incentive stock options.

[mchusma]

One quick correction is that founders typically have common stock, not preferred.

[nerfhammer]

They get common stock but without a cliff or vesting period

[tptacek]

No, founders vest. For the love of all that is holy, don't join a founding team with no vesting. Funding or no funding, vesting is non-optional. Get vesting worked out from the jump.

[jenandre]

not true if they are taking on money. any investor will require a vesting period over 4 yr w/ usually a 1 yr cliff (which resets every time you take money)