Ask HN: How much did you earn as an employee from an exit? 15 years ago
Beware of taxes! If you exercise at least 1 full year (366 days) before the company sells you pay capital gains tax (currently 15%) instead of full income tax (could be ~35%). I did not exercise my options early. Consequently, I coughed up over one-third of my cash to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes & withholding.