Let's be honest here: is not a startup based upon putting your entire livelihood at the mercy of a few small actors? That first customer, that first investor, that first employee, that first acquisition offer? Of course, we take measures to try to minimize the impact any one party, deal, or decision has on our overall success, but the fact is that there are often choke points in building a business or company where you do have to put all your eggs in one or two baskets. Not sure if that's the case here, but it's certainly not a hard and fast rule that you always have to avoid taking "all-in" risks. (Though maybe that's more the case if you have a family to feed and insufficient savings to avoid the fall...)
Starting a startup is like going to Vegas: you absolutely need to give yourself a limit before hand of how much you're willing to lose, stick to it, and go in expecting to lose it.
If you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay, you should not work at a startup.
One of the reasons why we've had this latest recessions is because consumers have been financially irresponsable, taking out mortgages they can't afford, relying 100% on their salary for income and having no backup plan.
If I were to lose my job tomorrow, I would be fine for the most part. I'd probably have to move out and get a cheaper apartment, but I'd be fine. I'm not shackled to a mortgage and have no debt of any kind. I'm working towards success, but I'm ready for whatever life decides to throw my way.
