[scottlegrand2]

I've had a simple rule for the past 20 years. If you offer me less than 1% of the startup I'm not interested in working with you because I am a plebe if I accept that offer. It hasn't failed me yet.

OTOH I chose to pursue a PhD in biochemistry rather than be the third member of the Yost group and that led to 3D Studio.

So I will boil my heuristic down to TLA or BigCo. I'd miss out on the next Facebook or Google with such a heuristic but what are the chances I would get an opportunity to join one of those companies at the ground floor in the first place?

in recent years, there was one startup bought out at a modest price for which I might have made epsilon more money being their CTO but it would have come with sleepless nights and anxiety at no additional cost.