It may seem like advertising tough gig, but the post isn't exploitative. Comparing it with an abhorrent practice is a bit extreme.
You have to look at the positives of that post:
Whoever takes the role up walks into it with eyes wide open on the expectations. No surprises.
Compensation is mentioned up front. No guesswork.
Even if he doesn't mention all that he has, scaling a startup is a tough hard grind and not for everyone to be a part of. No pretensions.
“If you are already beyond this bracket, consider taking a cut” like not “don’t come to us, its okay” but rather “I know your skills are worth a lot more but pls still come for some bullshit stocks I can cheat you out of later”
Betterhalf is shitty in terms of work and the product. This CEO is a micro manager. Good enough when they have actual substance, not when they themselves are figuring things out. They invested a lot in seo but could not drive much revenue.
Work culture is despicable, and the founder realizes he is not getting another round in the near term. They could only raise 5m in peak zirp era.