I think you miss the entire point of my comment. I am not suggesting that companies describe equity stakes in percentage or "you would make $x" terms (they can do neither), or that they provide anti-dilution protection to rank-and-file employees (it isn't going to happen). And while your assumption that nobody can afford to pay the tax on restricted stock grants is simply wrong, that's a different discussion.
Here's the bottom line: at a venture backed company, you will almost never know what your equity represents - in percentage or dollar amounts - until there's a liquidity event. As such, the value of the equity component of a compensation package should not be overestimated if you're a rank and file employee at a venture backed company. It should be treated like a lottery ticket because that's what it is.
Here's the bottom line: at a venture backed company, you will almost never know what your equity represents - in percentage or dollar amounts - until there's a liquidity event. As such, the value of the equity component of a compensation package should not be overestimated if you're a rank and file employee at a venture backed company. It should be treated like a lottery ticket because that's what it is.