Definition
The initial period before any stock options vest, typically one year, during which employees own exactly nothing and question all their life choices. It's called a cliff because if you leave before it, you fall off the edge of ownership into the abyss of having worked for below-market salary for nothing.
Example Usage
"I survived my one-year cliff and celebrated by checking my options' value, which was enough to buy a nice dinner but not a nice car, or a car at all."
Related Terms
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See “Cliff” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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