I think most tech founders are more than capable of getting a decent paying engineering corporate job if they choose to do so.
The problem (at least for me, who started off in FAANG initially) is that the longer you're in the start-up world, the more you hate the idea of going back to a corporate job.
So in my previous start-up I went all-in, racked up tens of thousands in CC debt and would have sold every single one of my possessions before letting it happen. When I missed my first rent payment, I ended up reluctantly selling the company and only accepted the offer on the condition that my transition period would be one month or less (i.e. I don't actually have to work for the acquirer).
Throughout that time, my previous coworkers/managers from the companies I originally worked for kept trying to convince me to come back.
The problem (at least for me, who started off in FAANG initially) is that the longer you're in the start-up world, the more you hate the idea of going back to a corporate job.
So in my previous start-up I went all-in, racked up tens of thousands in CC debt and would have sold every single one of my possessions before letting it happen. When I missed my first rent payment, I ended up reluctantly selling the company and only accepted the offer on the condition that my transition period would be one month or less (i.e. I don't actually have to work for the acquirer).
Throughout that time, my previous coworkers/managers from the companies I originally worked for kept trying to convince me to come back.