[Domenic_S]

They were right to give you the offer they did looking at your reaction.

$130k is not lowball. 0.2% is not lowball. Both are on the mid-to-low side of appropriate if we take you at your word for skill and fit.

More than that, respect has nothing to do with it. Just rm -rf that whole train of thought from your head. Compensation negotiations are negotiations, which means this is a conversation. Conversations go two ways. If you're not happy with the offer, counter.

[lawnchair_larry]

Lowball is a strong word, but it's below market. If startups can't compete on total comp, they have to pad it with equity. OP is getting worst of both worlds. 0.2% of a pre-VC company is absolutely nothing, and there are several engineers ahead of him for seniority, so he won't even get title inflation in the end.

It's not that it's an insulting offer, it's just that they can't afford you. For a fresh grad, it would be a pretty sweet deal.

[Domenic_S]

$130k cash is very strong from a seed-funded startup. I agree completely with your final sentence.