I don't understand, is it a small difference in pay or not? If it's not, why not hire the guy? If it is, why do you think it's so strange that that would make his decision for him?
I feel like you're just the other side of the coin, thinking your company is "exciting", while the guy thinks he's worth more than you're offering.
Does he think he's worth more than I'm offering (a) because he has some talent or skill I'm not aware of, or (b) because Goldman Sachs is willing to pay him more to do 120 hours per week of mind-numbing work?
If (a), I want to hear what he has to say. If (b), he should work at Goldman.
I'm 27 and have 4 years development experience. And I'm talented. I could realistically make $250-300k if I sold out and worked in investment banking-- a lot more than I'm worth at my level of experience, and more than I'd expect in a normal software job. I'd hate my life and probably burn out in the first 45 days, but I could do it if the thought of being a banker didn't disgust me.
Ok I looked at your commenting history and it seems like you have this same discussion over and over. I disagree with you, but I definitely see merit to what you're saying.
I feel like you're just the other side of the coin, thinking your company is "exciting", while the guy thinks he's worth more than you're offering.