Tech blogs make it look easy, but raising hundreds of thousands or millions in funding is actually very difficult-most startups try to raise money and fail. You could be the most brilliant engineer in the world, but if you're not good at sales, you won't be able to get funding. Your only options for significant upside are thus either to: 1. Find a sales/business cofounder 2. Join a startup for a mix of salary and equity Any startup giving away a few points of equity is likely well funded, removing a significant amount of risk for you.