Now check out TVA's "fundability curve, " which illustrates how the startup stacked up relative to its age and market position.

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Occasionally well-known startup COOs or heads of engineering finagle their way into this position.

FORBES: 3 Ways Proven Executives Get Paid To Work With Startups

Example: earlier in my career, I interviewed for a mid-level engineering position at four very different companies: a tiny startup, a small startup, a 100-person startup, and a hedge fund.

FORBES: How Can Software Engineers Figure Out Their Market Value?

To position itself in this new big data measurement marketplace Millennial just acquired San Francisco startup mobile advertiser Metaresolver in an all-cash deal.

FORBES: Millennial Media Market Value Drops Huge After Quarter Shortfall Bets on Big Data Angle

Startup veterans, for the most part, move on to second careers as angel investors, from which new position they now compete with venture capitalists, often trying to engineer early-exit scenarios at lower multiples, and effectively allying themselves with the big acqui-hiring companies against the traditional VC class.

FORBES: Entrepreneurs are the New Labor: Part II