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Comment by EpicEng | Hacker News Reader

So, I assume the company paid for you to make that move, right? Yes, you took on some risk by moving cross country, but you likely did so because the work was interested and/or the compensation was worth it. Let's not pretend that you didn't get anything out of the deal.

So, it fails, as startups often do, and you find another job. During your time there you pocked over 200k + benefits. What a rough life. What did you lose exactly?

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I'm so confused.

You think that the startup employee, who's placed a bet on their own personal value, doesn't deserve sympathy, but the VC, who gets to hedge their bets, does?

I didn't say that. I said the VC is putting more skin in the game. Sucks for both, but were paid quite well for what we do and can walk away whenever we like.

Is "were" supposed to be "we're"? If it is, who's "we"? Not all startups pay "quite well" and there are varying levels of risk employees take. Some are certainly more extreme than others.

I think skin in the game is proportional to net worth... as a percentage of net worth, I'd bet employees put more skin in the game.

If some unfortunate VC tied 100% of their assets in this, which was tied to 100% of some direct persons money, then that'd suck for sure. Not likely though.

>I didn't say that. I said the VC is putting more skin in the game.

No, they don't. They are putting more money in the game, but way less skin -- since with "skin" we usually refer to actual personal consequences (it doesn't get any more personal that our own literal skin).

Both parties, investors and employees, should get sympathy and remediation. Employees have been paid a salary all along, but should still get a proper severance if the company is shut down. Investors who gave Theranos >$300M in 2015 also have a right to get some of their investment back if the company is hopeless. The investors are shareholders in the company and the board and CEO need to consider their interests along with the employees' interests.

Why do you make these assumptions that they're well paid?

And aren't VCs well compensated as well? In many cases taking the bulk of reward despite not doing any of the work?

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