$100,000 in options sounds great but if it’s .01% of options then you’ll have to be part of a monster IPO or sale to get a windfall.
Always insist on the % amount. Most founders will try not to share it.
Also options are a % increase in share price play, so $100,000 strike price can at least give you some information wrt how much $ you can make if the per share price of the company triples, etc.
It's not always better to know % and % only. Let's say you get 1% options of a company valued at $10B. Options are priced at the preferred price, no discount. The company IPOs at $10B. Did you make $100M? Nope you made $0 so far!
Perhaps. But if a company will not give you a percentage of ownership and expects you to accept this as compensation, you should quit. Full stop.
If the company won't tell you how to fairly evaluate your options, they're operating in bad faith, and should not be rewarded for their sleazy behavior.
The important principle, though, is that they shouldn't be hiding anything from you. If the company won't even tell you the percentage your shares represent, you can't trust them to do anything else.