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Most startups offer equity to their employees.

"the company is owned by tyrants"

Citation needed.




all of us employees with startup equity know that it's a far cry from employee ownership, and it's disingenuous to suggest that we have any quantum of control when push comes to shove.


How many quantum of control do you have on a democratic society where your vote is worth as much as the vote of any of your million fellow citizens?

Not being able to force your personal will onto others doesn't mean a society or organization is not democratic.


Having others will dispassionately forced on you, or me, or them is a strong indicator of an undemocratic society.


That definition does not make any sense. Not having your way all the time does not mean you live in a dictatorship.


In democratic society, on principle, how much your say is worth is not determined by how much money you are able to invest in it. Your analogy would only make sense if you can "buy" votes, and arguably the political sphere is in a pretty sad state too with how much control voters actually have. At best, you're saying that a company can be just as undemocratic as the modern state. That's not a high bar to cross.


Two words: dilution and liquidity

This typically happens at big companies, though.


Yes, and liquidation preference. A company can get sold for $1 billion and still have 20-percent-owning founders who get $0 from the sale.


Being a startup employee is statistically just a bad deal, in terms of hours invested to equity out. Being a cofounder or advisor isn’t too bad.




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