You are oversimplifying it picking comp as a single/only dimension. There's so much more to being in a startup. That's ok. For some people maximizing current comp is the most important thing. Others have a more long term game where working at a startup with lower comp opens up new opportunities later on (even if the startup equity doesn't work out). For other people it's about feeling alive... What's the point of higher comp at a big company if you hate your life (or, in a less extreme case, where you just don't feel fulfilled or satisfied)...