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> That’s why startups compete with equity for FAANG-types.

Aka, paper money, that you have less than 1% of getting. Even if startup doesn't go bust, things like liquidation preferences will screw people unless they're VC or founders.

Startup stock grants are exciting mostly to people new to the SV. If you've been here for a while, you know how badly cards are rigged against engineers.

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Yeah before founders started screwing employees by doing exactly what you said it was an option. Equal risk for high reward. Now it's higher risk for the employee for almost no guarantee of reward and a bait and switch at the last moment. My last two startups one paid out a whopping $0 for stock and the other went under.

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