Paul Graham said something about startups that I think was very, very wrong for most people. That you "compress your career into a few short years." That might be true for a very small number of very smart people, but for most everyone, it's a long road of several failed startups and well over a decade before they find success. It's like being a musician, only not quite as depressing. You don't know beforehand what you need to be focused on, all too often you're buying in whole-cloth to a idea that hasn't been vetted being implemented by a team that's never worked together and you just ignore all the risks because reasons and oh god this is too hard to think about so I'll just focus on what's in front of me.

You only get to compress your working life if your startup actually finds legs, and manages to find a lucrative exit, and you didn't get screwed on the cap table. Unless it does, you're working awful hard for what's effectively a lottery ticket.

Some people really really really need to work really really really hard. These people would be well-served to do some self-inquiry as to why they need to do this rather than try to find the right vehicle for their efforts, because that kind of effort is rarely rewarded, no matter what vehicle you put it in.