The dirty little truth is that the only parties who profit off of startups, besides service providers who cater to them, are the investors and the founders.
If you would believe the hyperbole from the founders of start-ups, working at a start-up isn't about money. It's about changing the world. heh. Seriously, working at a startup is about making 20-30% less than market (when you factor in the value of big-company benefits) with the expectation of 50-70 hour work-weeks for the gamble of your company having an exit so huge there's no way they can dilute your stock enough to give you the shaft. Youtube was the last time that happened. If the exit isn't in the 10 figures, as a peon you probably won't even see enough cash for the downpayment on a studio condo in the bay area.
If you would believe the hyperbole from the founders of start-ups, working at a start-up isn't about money. It's about changing the world. heh. Seriously, working at a startup is about making 20-30% less than market (when you factor in the value of big-company benefits) with the expectation of 50-70 hour work-weeks for the gamble of your company having an exit so huge there's no way they can dilute your stock enough to give you the shaft. Youtube was the last time that happened. If the exit isn't in the 10 figures, as a peon you probably won't even see enough cash for the downpayment on a studio condo in the bay area.