The author meant this signaled a lack of character because... I dunno. It means the person wasn't as committed as the author? Of course, the author doesn't mention, even to himself, that the employee doesn't get the same upside from stock as a founder.
It is simple. Salary has to be paid, now. The stocks is likely end up being nothing as most startups fail. So, the author is strongly motivated to pay in stock options and not pay in money.
But, admitting so would make him sound bad. Therefore, it is about your character. If you want to actually be paid, you have bad character.
It's only worth it if you start your own thing, or if you specialise on something where you are judged based on measurable results.
You should always aim to be the best at what you do. It does not mean that will become your card to every role. You need to complement that with drive (being able to deliver, no matter what), intelligence (being able to navigate any situation, political, personal, etc) and character (integrity with strong opinions, loosely held as well as exceptional ability to communicate and sell yourself). These are really useful because employers are thinking about how they can apply your skills to grow their business. They want to feel that they need you. They can hire a bunch of coders, but you need to be a mover, have gravity and fit into their budget (no max cash lol). This is what they want. But you should be aware of this, and position your cards so this also works out for you. Create leverage for yourself so you can negotiate better terms gradually, on future roles. As you progress you’ll gradually have the confidence to also turn down crap equity offers, ask for better terms, participation in liquidity events, etc.
Finally, comparing SWE roles with other engineering roles is a mistake. Currently there is a lot of money in these roles, and you have the opportunity to create a lot of impact very quickly. This is a role that effectively becomes more business oriented as you grow (if you choose to). So your thinking needs to evolve as well. Everything is a negotiation.
No one will play the game for your benefit. That’s your responsibility.
That's super funny to me, as at my current workplace I empty the garbage bins around the place when they get full. And a bunch of other stuff along those lines, to the point where people have started referring to me as the unofficial office manager.
Ambition matters, but experience delivers that judgment, grit, and context
God how I hate tech bro culture sometimes
