"That's a Cute Number." He Closed Zoom.

A candidate on r/jobs described quoting a market-rate salary and having the recruiter laugh. "That's a cute number," the recruiter said, before explaining the company hires people "driven by the mission, not the paycheck" — for 50-hour weeks, no equity, and no bonuses. The candidate thanked them for their time and ended the call. The post drew 31,000 upvotes. One commenter summed it up: "For enough money, I can be passionate about anything. But I'm not driven by any mission for free."