I don't think that is the point at all. I think the point is that the value of your shares are issued at a point in time, and given the volatility of an early stage startup valuation, it's just as much to 100x in the right direction as in the wrong direction. If it goes 100x in the wrong direction and the startup needs to recapitalize, then whatever stream of work the startup was on prior has effectively failed and its equity position is worthless.
This is part of the risk you take working at a company at that stage. If that kind of downside risk isn't palatable, then you've learned a very valuable lesson: you probably want to be more selective with the startups you do choose to work with, or simply work at a more established company.
There are a significant amount of startups out there which differ significantly in quality. Given that you as an early stage employee are trading your fair market liquid TC for equity, you are effectively investing in said startup ("sweat equity") -- so you need to ensure you are "investing" with the same level of diligence you would expect any sophisticated angel or seed investor would, especially because you cannot diversify for the period of time you are engaged with said company. If you do not feel equipped or ready to do this kind of diligence, then it is highly likely you won't be confident about your decision to work in early stage startups in general.
Of course, there is no free lunch. More established companies often come with a quality of life at work that is not comparable to early stage startups. But for many, this tradeoff for a better risk adjusted total compensation is worth it.
This is part of the risk you take working at a company at that stage. If that kind of downside risk isn't palatable, then you've learned a very valuable lesson: you probably want to be more selective with the startups you do choose to work with, or simply work at a more established company.
There are a significant amount of startups out there which differ significantly in quality. Given that you as an early stage employee are trading your fair market liquid TC for equity, you are effectively investing in said startup ("sweat equity") -- so you need to ensure you are "investing" with the same level of diligence you would expect any sophisticated angel or seed investor would, especially because you cannot diversify for the period of time you are engaged with said company. If you do not feel equipped or ready to do this kind of diligence, then it is highly likely you won't be confident about your decision to work in early stage startups in general.
Of course, there is no free lunch. More established companies often come with a quality of life at work that is not comparable to early stage startups. But for many, this tradeoff for a better risk adjusted total compensation is worth it.