Over the past few weeks, there have been constantly new rumors that Meta is spending large sums—$10 million a year on pure salaries, and sometimes much more, not including equity. It is said that Mark Zuckerberg is personally involved in negotiations with top candidates, selecting the best specialists for his AI team.
He is very serious about it and, apparently, not planning to give up. In this situation, the startup becomes an even more risky venture: why spend 5-10 years of your life and hope for unpredictable success when you can earn steadily from one to several tens of millions of dollars a year right now, not to mention free lunches and other perks?
Of course, experience shows that startup founders driven solely by the desire to make money are much more likely to lose their chances of success. Motivation for starting a business is often not just about finances—the process can turn into a long journey with uncertain prospects.