I don't see why this is getting much attention. You can look at the financials all day long, but what really matters is your happiness. Are you going to be happy at a big company doing the same job day in and day out? If so, great!

If you're the type of person that can't stand repetition and predictability and want the emotional roller coaster of creating something new, then join a startup!

We don't have blog posts talking about the payouts between being an artist and a hedge fund manager, and yet people still become artists. Why do we do this in the startup culture? We shouldn't feel apologetic or like we're missing out on something if we decide that what makes us happy is to work at a startup.