Why are you asking engineers to be investors in your company? Don't you need engineers to build your secret sauce and you have investors to invest?
If you need money ask VCs for money and hire the people which will make you rich. It is really that simple. It is 10x easier to get 20K more in investment than finding an engineer which will work for 20K less than market salary.
If you need money ask VCs for money and hire the people which will make you rich. It is really that simple. It is 10x easier to get 20K more in investment than finding an engineer which will work for 20K less than market salary.