Working for a Silicon Valley startup feels like those scenes in a con movie: You're the wide eyed bettor at the pool table, convinced you have a shot...Until you realize you've been playing against world-class hustlers.

I don't think it was always that way. There were lots of overnight millionaires when tech unicorns were going IPO like gangbusters. But we haven't had a true unicorn in years, so right now, getting paid in equity is choosing to work for nothing.