"But let's not move the goalposts: the argument is that engineers are second-class in tech startups in a way that isn't true in finance companies. Most engineering jobs at finance companies are cost-center roles."
As I mentioned, I do not think it is a fair characterization to say that engineers are more/less valued in either situation. I just think that using equity distribution percentage to argue one way or the other is problematic in that compensation is determined in 2 dramatically different ways.
That said, if I were going to argue anything, it would be that the equity options based compensation packages in tech startups seem to have more opportunity for abuse. So characterizing engineers as 3rd vs 2nd class isn't interesting, but characterizing one compensation structure as more exploitative than the other may be, and I think that is at the heart of what the original post was about.
[edit] I'd also add that any characterizations about the methodologies used in finance/trading vs tech startups is completely inaccurate. I've seen great development process in both places and the converse as well.
As I mentioned, I do not think it is a fair characterization to say that engineers are more/less valued in either situation. I just think that using equity distribution percentage to argue one way or the other is problematic in that compensation is determined in 2 dramatically different ways.
That said, if I were going to argue anything, it would be that the equity options based compensation packages in tech startups seem to have more opportunity for abuse. So characterizing engineers as 3rd vs 2nd class isn't interesting, but characterizing one compensation structure as more exploitative than the other may be, and I think that is at the heart of what the original post was about.
[edit] I'd also add that any characterizations about the methodologies used in finance/trading vs tech startups is completely inaccurate. I've seen great development process in both places and the converse as well.