I'm leaving an extremely well paying job, one that I'm even fairly happy with, for a startup that I think will do really well. It's been a difficult choice because I have a family and a mortgage. Since I have taken significantly less risk than my partners who have been doing this for months now without taking a penny, I'd obviously get a lot less equity, but enough equity to keep me motivated to help build this business. I'm also getting a significantly smaller salary compared to what I make now, it's enough to pay the bills and keep the food on our plates, but it's a huge risk for me regardless and sets back my families financial for sure. I believe in the team and the product, so I'm 95% sure this is the right move. Worst case is I can always get another job later.
My question is this:
Since I have a lot less equity than my partners do, is it fair to ask for an anti-dilution clause, or a clause that dilutes me less than them for when we go for subsequent investments? Depending on how much dilution occurs, I can see me start losing interest if the number gets much lower. With that said, I feel very grateful that I'm able to join this team, and the fact of the matter is, I am taking slightly less risk than my partners. Thank you for any and all feedback.
