Keep in mind that however much people talk about startups as a shared mission or a calling, it's also about the money. Try asking for a meaningful chunk of equity if you want proof. The goal of every startup is to reach an exit, which is an acquisition 99% of the time. Once the retention agreements expire a year or two later, the newly-enriched founders will be gone while the employees will watch the acquirer systematically dismantle the company. Or they'll be laid off.
This is a business; don't get too romantic about it.
This is a business; don't get too romantic about it.