> If you're gonna take a bet, you might as well hold all the cards.
Is it inconceivable that you might think a bet on someone else is better, at least in the current time?
I'd certainly value equity in a startup founded by a successful entrepreneur with previous huge exits over equity in a startup which I don't even have a good idea for.
Of course, you should still demand a good salary. Particularly because the companies with the most valuable equity are also the ones who can pay you well. The startups paying peanuts are also, in general, useless.
It's certainly conceivable, and can often be pretty lucrative. I folded up my first startup and joined Google because they knew what they were doing and I didn't, and ended up making a lot more money than many of my peers in the startup world.
The thing is - if this is actually the situation, it'll usually be pretty apparent. You'll get super excited just interviewing with them. If you feel like you're "taking a bet" on working with someone, you probably are, and it isn't likely to be a good bet.
"Is it inconceivable that you might think a bet on someone else is better, at least in the current time?"
You might think it is, but that's probably before you realize that, even if the company does work out, you're going to get fucked by the founders and VCs.
Is it inconceivable that you might think a bet on someone else is better, at least in the current time?
I'd certainly value equity in a startup founded by a successful entrepreneur with previous huge exits over equity in a startup which I don't even have a good idea for.
Of course, you should still demand a good salary. Particularly because the companies with the most valuable equity are also the ones who can pay you well. The startups paying peanuts are also, in general, useless.