[mmsmatt]

> "Or do you end up locked in for a few more years of handcuffs while waiting it out?"

The golden cuffs _will_ click if you stick around any time at all and have even slightly bad luck: Maybe you burn out before vesting, or the company blows an acquisition that would've fit your schedule and your payout/life goals.

Waiting around after you hear the click becomes a losing game. Find another one to play, it's a big world.