VC-backed founders trick employees into believing their stock options are worth millions of $$$.
Here's why it almost never happens:
That “1% equity” you bragged about? It’s a f*cking mirage.
Here’s how the con works:
1/ Founder tells you, “Welcome to the team, here’s a million dollars in stock.”
2/ You believe it. You think you’re rich just for showing up.
3/ You grind for the vest, convinced the big payout is inevitable.
Wake up.
You haven’t been gifted a million.
You just earned the chance to spend a million, at a price set by the last vanity VC round.
The real payday?
Conditional on a future nobody can predict.
The dirty secret: unless your company sells for many multiples above that valuation, your “big win” is just a big nothing.
And that’s before the real dilution circus begins.
Every new round kills your slice and fattens the cap table for the favorite class: VCs and investors.
Still betting your life on options priced at 10x, 20x, 30x ARR?
Might as well burn your W-2 and call it “manifesting wealth.”
Here’s the only math I trust:
↳ If the value of your equity = 2x–7x company ARR, maybe you make money (if your startup isn’t bleeding cash)
↳ If it’s 8x–15x? Good luck
↳ If it’s over 15x? You’re getting zeroed out. It’s not “ownership”, it’s monopoly money
Most founders won’t say this out loud.
Ask your founder the hard questions. Don’t let the PowerPoint lottery ticket define your future.
Want real upside? Ship, sell, and stack ARR. Then you’ll know what ownership actually feels like.
Are you still dreaming, or are you awake now?
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👋 Hey, I'm J.Y!
I'm the co-founder of BuddiesHR, the #1 Employee Engagement Software that lives in Slack.
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