[cia_plant]

What's up with the cliff anyway? You're already asking me to take a much higher level of risk and a much lower level of liquidity than I'd like in my compensation, by giving me stock options. In addition to that you want me to take on 100% of the risk of our working arrangement not working out, and in fact you insist on giving yourself a strong incentive to fire me before the first year is out? It seems ridiculously exploitative.

[spacehome]

I'm not sure of the details, but I think it's rooted in tax law -- that the options are classified differently if they're exercised within a year of their creation.

[cbr]

If that's the issue the options could vest monthly but just prohibit you from exercising them for a year.

(not a lawyer)

The standard reason for the cliff is that at first an employee slows everyone else down as they come up to speed, and then they start to help.