This is normally a problem solved by a four-year vesting schedule w/ a one-year cliff.

IMO, companies offering minimal equity with a promise to increase it later is a huge red flag, since those promises rarely come to fruition. Equity is given to compensate for the risk and work involved in a startup. Once the company is further along, the risk and work required are lower and there's no market justification to increase someone's equity stake. The temptation to ignore those promises is usually too great.