How is life having a secure check coming every month?
They're still a happy fantasy, given how easy it is to let go here in the States.
The only real security is the amount of cash in your bank account. Startups aren't good at that either, unless you hit the jackpot.
I agree. Straight-up cash provides much more security. Case in point: Think of all the pensioners who discovered that their retirement income -- money taken out of their paycheck -- had vanished into smoke these last several years.
It's all a question of fit/priorities, and doing what's best for you at that point in your career/life.