Need advice: Leaving an 11 LPA startup job for a 21 LPA early-stage HFT startup?

Hi everyone, ( post formatted using AI obviously)

I'm looking for some career advice.

Background:

- YOE: 9 months full-time + 6 months as a Python Backend Intern

- Current CTC: 11 LPA (appraisal in oct so it will become 15-16)

- New Offer: 19 LPA base + 2 LPA performance bonus

- College: Tier-2

Current Company

I've been working at a mid-stage startup. The work culture is quite intense, with my average workday being around 12 hours.

That said, the learning has been incredible. Even as an intern, I got exposure to multiple domains, and as a full-time engineer I've worked on backend systems, databases, cloud infrastructure, and system design. The expectations are high, but the growth has been real.

New Company

I've received an offer for a Quant SDE (Backend) role at a very early-stage HFT startup.

The team is small (around 14 people), with founders from BITS and engineers from IITs and J.P. Morgan.

Financially, the move is significant (11 LPA → 21 LPA total compensation). I also expect to get a lot of ownership and exposure because of the small team.

My only concern is that it's still a very early-stage HFT startup, so there's naturally some uncertainty around stability.

If you were in my position:

- Would you make the switch? Or wait for a good product based companies or a well established company to make the switch.

- Are there any red flags I should watch out for before joining such an early-stage HFT?

- For people who've worked at early-stage HFTs, how was your experience compared to a traditional startup?

Also, share some good excuses to tell current company's HR that why I'm leaving even though 3months of bond period is remaining. I want early release.