There is extremely good advice in the parent post.  For those new to the game, please read it closely.<p>I&#x27;ve been with 5 startups over the last 15 years.  Each had developed good, commercially-viable, revenue-generating tech.  But, in all cases, instead of going IPO, each was acquired.  And, usually they were acquired by other investors&#x27; or board members&#x27; companies (sometimes at a loss).  I would love to know the actual statistics for how many &#x27;ground floor&#x27; developers get rich on options, but I&#x27;m guessing that it&#x27;s very few.<p>Startup culture is cool - I love it.  They give me piles of money to experiment and develop new stuff and build new products.  If you have an &#x27;inventor mindset&#x27;, like a casual work culture, and like to see shit get done, it&#x27;s a great way to go.  But, unless you&#x27;re a founder or very early employee, make sure you negotiate for market-rate compensation with reasonable working hours.<p>Of course, this all depends on the specific company and its board, but generally the options game is a scam.  I&#x27;ve made a decent amount of money over the last 15 years - enough to retire on.  But, very, very little of that was from a big startup cash-out.  Instead, I just negotiated my salary and benefits effectively, saved a ton, and invested as much as I could.<p>Compound interest is your friend; your employer&#x27;s stock options? not so much.