Actually, what is the 1000x risk for SV startup founders? They are not risking their own money and apparently not even their reputation (failed VC-backed founders tend to be able to get VC capital again) so on the face their risk is just to lose a job, same as for any other employee.

Yeah exactly. Many of these founders are on their 2nd startup and are already millionaires. Some poor nth employee is in fact risking a lot by e.g. quitting their nice life in a city by relocating, or quitting a promising career. Yet the founders' massively disporportionate ownership is chucked off to "risk".

I for one hope for market forces that will rebalance these discrepancies. Talented 1st employee shouldering most of the technical brunt taking <1% plus dilution is selling oneself to the dogs.

What you're risking is your health, physical and mental.

Being a founder is a hugely stressful job, and everyone I've seen spend 5 years as a founder has aged more like 10 years in that time.

That's how capitalism works?

and you don't see a problem with that?