Konstantin posted:

The issue with working for early stage startups as an employee is that you have to make the difference between an employee and a founder absolutely clear. Startups in general require certain sacrifices, you have to work long hours, the company isn't stable, and the work often doesn't utilize your skills. Founders consider those sacrifices worth it because they can implement their vision and succeed and fail on their own terms, with a huge financial reward for success. Early employees, however, have to report to the founders, and if they own equity it has some strings attached. Oftentimes these boundaries get blurred and employees consider themselves founders, only to get a harsh reality check if the big money starts flowing in. Both parties are to blame, the founders may start to think of their employees as peers, especially if they don't have serious management experience themselves, and the employees fall into that and think that they own the company in the same way the founders do. In an insular and informal environment such as a small startup, both parties need to make the effort to maintain those professional boundaries, regardless of the compensation system.