First, I would argue that most employees never get a meaningful offer to accept more risk if they so choose. I think it would be better if employees could choose to accept more risk in the form of profit sharing in place of salary, but it’s not typically on the table, even at a startup.
Second, the point here is that PG is misapprehending (or deliberately obfuscating) what people mean by “exploitation.”
When Marxists talk about exploitation what they mean is that employees (workers) are not paid the full value of their labor. This is usually explained away with “risk profile” by capitalists, as you did above, but most employees don’t have a choice to accept a higher risk profile in return for getting paid the full value of what they produce.
Employees have the choice in that they are free agents and can choose to accept or reject any contract. And they themselves can go and found a company just like the founders on the other side of the table.
Would it be nice if employees were given options to wiggle fixed comp to adjust to their own risk profiles - so they could choose more guaranteed pay with less risk, or more possible upside with more risk? Sure, absolutely. But I don't see how that should be a requirement, nor do I think companies not offering part-ownership are doing something wrong.
And I don't understand why employees would ever be compensated for the "full value of their labor". When you work for a company, your labor generally only makes sense within the context of the larger organization. Could that context explain the differences between what employees produce for the company, versus what they are paid?
"And I don't understand why employees would ever be compensated for the "full value of their labor". When you work for a company, your labor generally only makes sense within the context of the larger organization"
This is a good point. I've never understood why people who claim the full value of their labor is being stolen bother to involve themselves with the purported thieves at all. Why not work independently and take the "full value" of your labor for yourself?
The answer is of course because your Vue.js skills (or what have you) are not very valuable on their own without the whole organization; being capital, management, customers, suppliers, etc...
I think the commenter is using a paradigm where value is a function of labour. There are other viewpoints that disagree with that paradigm, like what you're suggesting.
Second, the point here is that PG is misapprehending (or deliberately obfuscating) what people mean by “exploitation.”
When Marxists talk about exploitation what they mean is that employees (workers) are not paid the full value of their labor. This is usually explained away with “risk profile” by capitalists, as you did above, but most employees don’t have a choice to accept a higher risk profile in return for getting paid the full value of what they produce.