This is for non-FAANG and salary = base, NOT TC.
Usually startups are unwilling to offer enough options to offset the lost base and risk.
Looks like there are still plenty of suckers wanting to join startups, even though 19/20 never reach IPO or acquisition
The only time it makes sense is if you’re fresh out of university and exp. I can’t see why anyone with >2 yrs of experience would forego big company perks/pay/RSUs for worthless options. Even in the unlikely scenario the shitty startup does have a liquidity event, you won’t see much real $$ after dilution. The days of striking it rich off of options died 10+ years ago.
Exactly
Obviously, this is highly dependent on the situation and whether you believe in the start up.
Agreed, but I have seen some startups that pay base salary 20-30% below market rate and ok options (100K).