In order of increasing risk:
- Join FAANG at L7+, or L6 and wait a couple years for your grant to hopefully appreciate.
- Join a pre-IPO (2-3 years out) unicorn as a rank-and-file senior engineer.
- Join an earlier stage startup.
- Join FAANG at L7+, or L6 and wait a couple years for your grant to hopefully appreciate.
- Join a pre-IPO (2-3 years out) unicorn as a rank-and-file senior engineer.
- Join an earlier stage startup.
FAANG, or couple months Pre-IPO with clearly defined vesting without typical startup trickery leaving option holder employees with an empty bags.