How much equity should you ask for when you join as a senior software engineer to a company with no more than 100 employees, but generating millions of revenue as a startup? Is there a good percentage one should ask for?

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You’d be lucky to get a lottery ticket these days.

Generally startups form a employee option pool that you’ll draw from. Most don’t stick around long enough for their shares to vest. Your draw from the pool will be measured in shares, not in percentage points. There’s literally no point in asking for more because it’s all still funny money. If you’re extraordinarily lucky, those shares will net you a few tens of thousands and will be more of a tax hassle than a windfall.

If you want to be rich, you need to join earlier.