Based on what valuation? Sell them to who? It was a privately owned company. I doubt I'd have been able to persuade the founder to buy my stake considering I'd signed a thing that said I get nothing if I quit before they exit.
Nothing remotely resembling a standard 4-year vesting schedule...
But being guaranteed 1% stake on exit in writing is in some ways better. Most folks w/options are getting heavily dilluted with every round of funding, but at least they can exercise and move on for more lotto tickets after 1 year.