```md
---
title: Founder Equity Terms
description: Learn about selecting your equity vesting terms.
---

Atlas defaults to industry-standard founder equity vesting terms. However, you can customize your vesting period and vesting start dates, and choose whether to include a vesting cliff.

## Standard Equity Terms

As a founder, you need to understand the following equity terms:

*   **Vesting:** The process by which you gradually gain ownership of assets such as company equity over time, rather than receiving them all at once.
*   **Vesting period:** The total length of time over which you earn your founder equity. If you leave before the end of the vesting period, you only keep the stock that has already vested.
*   **Vesting cliffs:** The date before which no equity vests. If you leave before the cliff date, you won’t receive any stock.
*   **Vesting start date:** The date when your vesting period begins.

Most founders set up their companies with a four-year vesting period and a one-year cliff, with a vesting start date set as the date of incorporation. All Atlas founder equity vests monthly. For example, with a four-year vesting period, founders receive 1/48 of their
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