Personally I chose to join a famous later stage startup instead of a startup for this very reason. Both offered great compensation and fun roles, but while the later stage startup gives me <i>a lot</i> of RSUs that will soon be liquid the earlier stage startup gives me stock options that expire under these kind of unfavorable terms.<p>There is a bit of a double standard on stock vesting between founders and early stage employees. Both take about the same amount of risk and the employees frequently give up more salary for less equity. However, while founders owns all vested stock outright the employee stock options most often expire after 30 to 90 days.<p>The quick stock option expiration is especially problematic since the termination might not be voluntary, and might be a result of changing life circumstances or a company-initiated termination.