Well, if you're at a startup which hasn't gone public yet, then really it depends on what the strike price is, what the fair market value is, what your confiden

Well, if you're at a startup which hasn't gone public yet, then really it depends on what the strike price is, what the fair market value is, what your confidence in the startup is, what funding rounds are expected, what your tax situation is, etc. I think the relationship between these variable is more important than just recession vs not-recession. Also, if they're cheap and you believe in the startup, just buy them.