I should clarify a bit, all of the pre-IPO, pre-exit companies I worked for. With Marriott it followed a typical vesting schedule but that is a totally different animal. A fortune 100 and a start-up are apples to oranges when it comes to how options are dealt with. But it sounds to me like some companies are using a more "big company" traditional option grant scheme. I would never sign up for the same contract I took with Marriott with a start-up, totally different issues and risks to use an options contract like that.
