Bad founder behavior is quite prevalent and should be called out for sure.
I disagree though with the general notion that employees are taking similar or even greater levels of risk. If you get a stable monthly paycheck, and the reasonable worst case is you're laid off because the company runs out of money (or downsizes), then the risk is in finding a new job.
That situation exists in a job at a large company too. Founders however are so tied to their ventures, that getting a new job is effectively out of the question, because it very likely means the death of the company.
And starting a company is an exceedingly difficult, stressful, and sacrificial thing to do. There is a clear and significant asymmetry in risk, and frequently in blood, sweat, and tears. So the nonlinear rewards should be commensurate too.
I disagree though with the general notion that employees are taking similar or even greater levels of risk. If you get a stable monthly paycheck, and the reasonable worst case is you're laid off because the company runs out of money (or downsizes), then the risk is in finding a new job.
That situation exists in a job at a large company too. Founders however are so tied to their ventures, that getting a new job is effectively out of the question, because it very likely means the death of the company.
And starting a company is an exceedingly difficult, stressful, and sacrificial thing to do. There is a clear and significant asymmetry in risk, and frequently in blood, sweat, and tears. So the nonlinear rewards should be commensurate too.