Ambient Intelligence · New Team Member · Health Tech Startup Onboarding

Welcome,

Team Member

Five onboarding steps, six documents to sign, and one 30-day 83(b) deadline that cannot be missed. This tracker guides you from offer acceptance through your 90-day check-in at Ambient Intelligence.

Software engineer?
Skip ahead to the engineering onboarding.
Monorepo setup, subdomain map, package + commit conventions.
5
Onboarding steps
6
Documents
25
Total tasks
4 years
Equity vesting
30 days
83(b) deadline
30 days
Benefits window
Onboarding progress — 25 tasks across 5 steps
0of 25 tasks complete
0% complete
0/6 docs signed
01 · 0/5
02 · 0/5
03 · 0/5
04 · 0/5
05 · 0/5
SHARED STATE
01

Onboarding Steps

5 steps · 25 tasks
01

Pre-Start Documents

Current
Before Day 1 · Sign before your first day
Review and sign employment agreement
Sign PIAA (Proprietary Information and Assignment Agreement)
Complete I-9 employment eligibility verification
Submit W-4 federal tax withholding election
Set up direct deposit for payroll via HR portal
0/5 complete
Before Day 1
02

Equity & Compensation

Days 1–30 · File the 83(b) election within 30 days of grant — no exceptions
Review stock option grant notice and full ISO agreement
Sign incentive stock option (ISO) agreement via Carta
File IRS Section 83(b) election within 30 days of grant date
Activate Carta equity portal account (invitation arrives Day 1)
Confirm vesting commencement date and 12-month cliff date with finance
0/5 complete
Days 1–30
03

Day 1 Setup

Days 1–5 · Complete by end of Week 1
Receive and configure company laptop — MDM enrollment and security keys
Activate company email, Slack, and Notion workspace
Complete mandatory HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule training module
Review employee handbook and code of conduct — sign attestation
Attend new-hire orientation session with team lead and HR
0/5 complete
Days 1–5
04

Benefits Enrollment

Days 1–30 · 30-day election window — elections are irrevocable after deadline
Review medical, dental, and vision plan options and monthly premiums
Complete benefits enrollment via HR portal before Day 30
Set up Health Savings Account (HSA) if electing the HDHP medical plan
Set 401(k) contribution percentage and investment election via Guideline
Designate beneficiaries for life insurance and AD&D coverage
0/5 complete
Days 1–30
05

30 / 60 / 90-Day Milestones

Days 30–90 · Integration goals for your first quarter
Complete full product walkthrough and live demo certification
Schedule and complete 1:1 introductions with all department leads
Submit 30-day onboarding feedback survey to HR
Present 60-day project update at team all-hands meeting
Complete 90-day performance review with direct manager
0/5 complete
Days 30–90
02

Document Vault

0/6 signed

Employment Agreement

Signature Required
At-Will Employment · Governing Law: Minnesota · Effective [START DATE]

At-will employment agreement covering position, salary, equity reference, benefits, and IP obligations. Must be signed before or on first day.

Mark signed

Incentive Stock Option Grant

Signature Required
ISO · 4-Year Vest · 1-Year Cliff · Exercise Price = FMV · 83(b) Due Grant Date +30 Days

ISO grant under the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. 25% vests at the 12-month cliff; remaining 75% vest monthly over 36 months. The 83(b) election deadline is absolute.

Mark signed

Proprietary Information & Assignment Agreement

Signature Required
IP Assignment · Confidentiality · Non-Solicitation 24 Months · HIPAA Obligations

Standard PIAA covering assignment of inventions, confidentiality of trade secrets and PHI, and post-employment non-solicitation. Required for all employees.

Mark signed

Benefits Enrollment Summary

Action Required
Enrollment Deadline: Day 30 · Medical · Dental · Vision · 401(k) · HSA

Summary of available benefits plans, employer contributions, HSA eligibility, and 401(k) match. All elections must be made within 30 days of start date.

Mark signed

HIPAA Training Attestation

Annual Requirement
HIPAA Privacy Rule · Security Rule · HITECH · Annual Renewal · PHI Handling

Attestation of HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule training completion. Required for all employees who may access protected health information. Renews annually.

Mark signed

Employee Handbook Acknowledgment

Sign & Return
Version 1.0 · Code of Conduct · Remote Work · PTO · Expense Policy · Data Security

Acknowledgment that you have received and reviewed the Employee Handbook. Covers code of conduct, remote work policy, PTO accrual, expenses, and data security.

Mark signed
03

Equity & Vesting

!

Section 83(b) Election — 30-Day Deadline

Tax Critical

After your stock option grant, you have exactly 30 days to file a Section 83(b) election with the IRS. This election locks in your tax basis at the current (low) FMV rather than at each future vesting event. Missing this deadline is irrevocable and can result in tens of thousands of dollars in additional tax liability over the vesting period.

Deadline
Grant date + 30 days
Filing method
Certified mail to IRS
Facilitated by
Carta (automated)
Cost to file
Free
Vesting Schedule — 4 Years / 48 Months / 1-Year Cliff
Start · 0%
Year 1 · Cliff 25%
Year 2 · 50%
Year 3 · 75%
Year 4 · 100%
12 months
Cliff date
25% of grant vests
1/48 / mo
Monthly vest
After cliff, 36 months
48 months
Full vest
100% of grant
10 years
Exercise window
From grant date
§

Section 1202 QSBS — Potentially 100% Tax-Free on Exit

5-Year Hold

If Ambient Intelligence qualifies as a Qualified Small Business — a domestic C-corp with ≤$50M gross assets at time of stock issuance — your shares may be eligible for the Section 1202 QSBS exclusion. Qualifying shareholders can exclude up to 100% of federal capital gains (up to $10M per taxpayer per company, or 10× your cost basis) on stock held for more than 5 years. This applies to both employees who exercise options and investors who purchase shares at original issue.

Max exclusion
$10M or 10× basis
Holding period
5+ years
Assets at issuance
≤ $50M gross
Federal exclusion
100% (post-2010)
View QSBS Compliance Guide28-item checklist · state conformity · exclusion calculator
ISO vs NSO
ISOs: no ordinary income tax at exercise (AMT may apply)
NSOs: taxed as ordinary income on the spread at exercise
Most early employees receive ISOs up to the $100K ISO limit
Hold 2yr from grant + 1yr from exercise for long-term capital gains
83(b) Election — Why It Matters
Without 83(b): taxed on FMV − exercise price at each vesting event
With 83(b): taxed at grant (when FMV ≈ exercise price, usually $0 tax)
Most YC founders and early employees file 83(b) — standard practice
File via certified mail + keep a copy; Carta can help automate
Strike Price & FMV
ISO exercise price = 409A-appraised FMV at grant date
Early-stage startups: FMV often 10–30% of preferred share price
FMV increases with each funding round — earlier grants are more valuable
Your Carta account shows your strike price and current 409A FMV
YC Standard Equity Terms
4-year vesting, 1-year cliff is universal at YC-backed companies
Options typically represent 0.05–0.5% at Series A for early hires
SAFE note investors convert at the next priced round
Pro-rata rights let investors maintain ownership in future rounds
QSBS for Employees
QSBS applies to stock — you must exercise options to start the 5-year clock
Early exercise + 83(b) election = start QSBS clock and lock in low basis at once
Company must have ≤$50M gross assets at time you exercise — verify with finance
ISOs exercised today at a qualifying company could exclude gains by year 2031
QSBS for Investors
SAFEs qualify for QSBS upon conversion to equity (5-year hold starts at conversion)
Priced round shares qualify at issuance if company assets ≤$50M
Each investor, spouse (filing separately), and trust claims their own $10M exclusion
No federal capital gains tax on up to $10M per qualifying shareholder — plan accordingly
04

Key Dates

Onboarding timeline — relative to start date
Before Day 1Employment agreement, PIAA, I-9, and W-4 — signed and returned to HR
Day 1Laptop setup, email activation, Slack/Notion access, and new-hire orientation
Day 1–30Benefits enrollment window — irrevocable after deadline; do not miss
Grant Date +30IRS Section 83(b) election deadline — absolute, no extensions, consult your tax advisor now
Day 3030-day check-in with manager and onboarding feedback survey to HR
Day 60Present 60-day project contribution at team all-hands; role confirmation meeting
Day 9090-day performance review — confirms role trajectory and sets 6-month OKRs
Month 12First vesting cliff — 25% of stock options vest on 12-month start anniversary
Month 48Full vesting — 100% vested; options remain exercisable for 10 years from grant date
Year 5 from exerciseQSBS 5-year hold complete — 100% federal capital gains exclusion unlocked on qualified shares (Section 1202, up to $10M per taxpayer)
05

Resources & Links

9 links
Equity
Carta Equity Portal
View your option grant, vesting schedule, and cap table position. File 83(b) elections and exercise requests. Invitation arrives Day 1.
carta.com
Education
YC Employee Equity Guide
Y Combinator's plain-English guide to startup equity — ISOs vs NSOs, vesting cliffs, 83(b) elections, and how to think about option value.
www.ycombinator.com/library/6b-e…
Tax — Urgent
IRS 83(b) Election Guide
Official IRS guidance on Section 83(b) elections. File within 30 days of grant. Instructions include the required statement content and mailing procedure.
www.irs.gov/irb/2012-28_IRB#RP-2…
401(k)
Guideline 401(k)
Set contribution elections, investment allocations, and beneficiary designations. Company match: 100% of the first 3% of gross salary, immediate vesting.
app.guideline.com
Benefits
HR & Benefits Portal
Benefits enrollment, PTO requests, payroll, and employee directory. Complete benefits elections within 30 days of start — elections are irrevocable after.
/humancapitalmgmt
Team
Organization
Team directory, workstream leads, open roles, and organizational structure. Key contacts and department leads for your first week.
/organization
Templates
YC Standard Documents
YC open-source startup documents — SAFE note, employee offer letter, PIAA template, and advisor agreements. Industry standard for early-stage companies.
www.ycombinator.com/documents
Compliance
HIPAA Training Module
Annual HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule training. Required on Day 1 and renewed yearly. Completion tracked in HRIS and tied to your attestation document.
/cybersecurity
Product
Digital Health Studio
Product overview, regulatory strategy, and clinical evidence framework. Start here for context on what we build and why it matters.
/digitalhealth
Ambient Intelligence · Team Onboarding · 25 tasks · 6 documents
HR Portal →Organization →Archive →