I totally agree. That's really what makes picking extremely difficult. It takes a lot of due diligence when searching for an opportunity to figure out which one is going to be great for your financial future. You also have to want to work there for 4 years (typical vesting window) if you plan on collecting all of your equity.

Depends on how much the company's aiming to grow, and how many options they give. These companies have enough challenges and resources to make better offers than what you'd get at Google/Dropbox, if you believe in the growth potential.

(disclosure: I work for one of the above companies listed)