I think this is under discussed/not understood in startup land, particularly by the young. Maybe this is by design.
Of course the founder is highly motivated, they can become a billionaire if all goes well.
And the VC guys are essentially holders of a diversified basket of lottery tickets requiring that they attend some board meetings and give advice.
For the IC level, especially if not "founding engineer", the upside is an EV+ outcome where you make what, 10% more than if you just went the MAG7 route? The downside is you work 2x harder to make 50% less than the MAG7 route and ends in a layoff where your last paycheck doesn't even clear.
Of course the founder is highly motivated, they can become a billionaire if all goes well.
And the VC guys are essentially holders of a diversified basket of lottery tickets requiring that they attend some board meetings and give advice.
For the IC level, especially if not "founding engineer", the upside is an EV+ outcome where you make what, 10% more than if you just went the MAG7 route? The downside is you work 2x harder to make 50% less than the MAG7 route and ends in a layoff where your last paycheck doesn't even clear.