This text is a perfect example of how to spot a bad deal.
The offer: $60k base salary, 0.5% equity, "Founding Engineer" title in San Francisco (one of the most expensive cities globally - think London or Hong Kong prices).
Why it's terrible:
The title doesn't match the compensation. "Founding Engineer" implies massive risk and founder hours. Real founding engineers get 5-20% equity. At 0.5%, you're getting employee equity with founder workload.
The salary is poverty wages for SF. Engineers there make $150-200k because rent alone costs $3,000+/month. This is a 70% pay cut.
How to evaluate any startup offer:
Compare total compensation to market rate. Low cash requires proportionally high equity.
Match titles to reality. "Founding" means significant equity. "Co-founder" means double-digit equity.
Calculate your real bet. Giving up $90k/year means the equity needs to realistically be worth $400k+ in 4 years to break even.
Learning isn't compensation. Don't accept poverty wages for education you could get while being paid fairly.
The truth: Most startups fail. Taking massive pay cuts for tiny equity is usually a bad bet.
P.S. This assessment helps you understand your actual risk tolerance and financial priorities before making major career gambles: coached.com/quiz
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