It’s not secret that some technology people are not treated very well. Clients often expect top quality work at rock-bottom prices, and many companies try to push their teams through crisis after crisis, destroying work/life and providing little reward. Small companies that call themselves “start-ups” often justify this behavior by claiming the workers are building something bigger. But often nothing gets built.

One company, Penny Arcade, tried to hire people by putting these big drawbacks right into the ad. They claim to be filtering for only the most dedicated–but many critics suggested that they are actually only filtering for the most desperate.

Penny Arcade can’t really claim to be a start-up. They’ve been around for years, and have probably grown to whatever size they are likely to ever be. But they do trade heavily in tech culture, and tech culture often styles itself as the eternal startup.

The implication is that these crappy, exploitative jobs are somehow going to lead to greater rewards. But that is just not true. A company that treats you with respect, from the beginning, is far more likely to give you the best tools, the best challenges, and the most exciting path to fulfillment and success.