Indeed, those are all other non-monetary ways to create more value for oneself. :-)<p>I understand the desire to want to keep hold of the equity in case the startup gets big, but having dead weight shareholders is a really good way of ensuring a company doesn&#x27;t get big. It is hard to judge—maybe the company is really on its way to growth and success and the OP has earned the equity—but more likely it&#x27;s the psychology of not wanting to let something get away &quot;just in case&quot;, and that&#x27;s not what startup sweat equity is about. There probably needs to be some consideration, but if one doesn&#x27;t believe in the future direction of the startup, hey, you are getting a whole lot of time and hassle back in exchange for surrendered shares.