[d357r0y3r]

All other things being held equal, a company choosing a longer exercise window says that they are employee-friendly in at least one respect.

I know the conventional wisdom here is that options never matter, but the reality is that they sometimes do, especially for companies that are experiencing solid growth. I recently made several hundred thousand dollars off my options from a liquidity event, and I hadn't been at the company for a few years.

It's a great perk, even if it doesn't end up amounting to anything.

[ransom1538]

Agreed. You would be surprised how much companies are worth on the market. Private liquidity events can cause whacky things outside the original conventional stock contracts. EG. "The acquiring company can also accelerate the vesting of options or awards, choosing to pay cash or shares, in exchange for the cancellation of outstanding grants". That can be serious cash for someone somewhat new to the company - eg 1 year in.