And just how often, in the science startup world, does the "equity" they hand out further down the food chain (vs. to founders & such) turn out to be worth big bucks?
Salary, OTOH, is (relatively) for-sure money. Up front.
Modern scientists may be very familiar with the "we'll pay you crap for years, while promising that you might win the shiny gold Tenure Medal eventually" scam.
