This is head-explodey. If the engineers don't like the deal they're getting, they can go work for other companies. If they should be getting a better deal, they will. There simply isn't a glut of dev talent right now. There is the opposite of that.
exactly. and founder vs employee isn't a species difference. it's a role difference, and only at a moment in time, and only with respect to one particular company. any employee could also (before|instead|after) be a founder for another business. Don't like the perks/negs of being a mere employee? Fine, be a founder. And vice versa.
