The right answer is for employees to start calling bullshit on the standard Silicon Valley equity agreement, where Emp#1 signs up for 1% (imagine having 1% of Google!!), Emp#2 takes .6%, Emp #10 goes with .05%, and so on... often unaware the founders hold 60%+ between the 2-3 of them.
It's appropriate for there to be a falloff in equity, but it's just too lopsided today. Emp#1 should ask how much the minority founder holds, and ask for (say) 80% of that. You spent 6 weeks without pay? Great, you get more reward. But not 50X more than #1. After all, the payoff is only if the company is successful, many years later... when those unpaid weeks are minor relative to the collective sacrifices of the company in whole.
Because it's an excellent argument.
"often unaware the founders hold 60%+ between the 2-3 of them."
Everyone who goes to work for a company knows that it's owned by someone else, dude. The vast majority of employees in this world get no equity at all. Ever.
the collective sacrifices of the company in whole.
As an employee, you are being offered a certain salary in exchange for performing a certain duty. You decide whether it's a good deal or not. There's no "sacrifice" involved.
Maybe the "early employees" should become founders, then. There's nothing to it, right? Just hang around some coffee shops!