What would be the appropriate share?

I'm sorry to say this, but welcome to the world of employment (exploitation ? maybe/maybe not). I am a UK citizen that almost single handedly coded a project worth 10 million GBP over 5 years. I got a 2000 GBP bonus and a pat on the back. And that was a blue-chip company. Just because you're an employee gives you no right to demand a share of the proceeds [legally]. (I left that company not soon after that).

Could they write the project without you ? If yes, then go steady ... dev resource is cheap & easy to come by.

BTW, its a shame you never get to speak to your clients :( Your boss sounds a tool.

I believe that a software house should always consider providing its employees with shares or some sort of earnings percentages that goes beyond normal salary.

So to answer your question I'd say you should explore this possibility at least, that said I don't know what your relationship with your manager is like and how formal / informal you guys are when communicating internally.

Whatever you do make sure that your position and relationship in your company does not get damaged as it is important to keep a good standing within the company whether you decide to stay or leave.

My advice is to talk with people at work whom you know and trust and then maybe have a dialog with your boss, I would caution against having an ultimatum type of discussion (e.g. Either Pay us or we go!) , try and have a casual conversation with your boss and see his point of view.

Best of luck to you.

If you have this conversation with your manager, I suspect you will hear the following:

1. The reason this deal is so lucrative is because I have spent years cultivating the contacts that made it possible. That is what is so valuable here, not the programming effort.

2. For years now I took all the risk and you took a paycheck. You got yours in the form of security. I am getting mine in the form of opportunity. That opportunity is now paying off but I'm the one that went without the security so as to have the opportunity. It is my time.

Ok, so what to do? You could take a chance that he really can't do it without you and you can force him to to pay up. That won't make for a very friendly relationship going forward. Furthermore, you could be replaceable. (Hint: EVERYONE is replaceable.) Then you would have no friendly relationship and no job.

By your account, you sound like a talented and experienced programmer. Staying in business for years is no simple feat, so we can also assume your manager is a capable one. You will both likely have some difficulty replacing the other. So go to him with this note in hand. Tell him you recognize his contribution and appreciate his shouldering of the risk. But what would be a small piece of the new revenue stream would be of huge value to you. You want to stay with him and you want the relationship to remain strong. Then ask for a number. Don't give him a range. If you want $3,000 a month, don't say "two to three thousand". Then shut up. Whoever talks first loses. If reality is even close to what you are describing, I say you have a good chance of making this deal and keeping everyone happy. Now if you ask for $30,000 a month, I don't know.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing... Ideally, this is a conversation that you should have been having before this specific situation. Because it would be very easy for you to come across as holding your boss to ransom, and that is unlikely to end well.

From what you say, it's possible that you are being treated as a commodity on purpose. And it's also possible that he values your role and contribution highly and you and he have just never had a serious conversation about how to develop that over time.

The bottom line right now is - you are employed on specific terms. You almost certainly don't have any right to demand a unilateral change of terms. But nor are you bound beyond your contract - you have skills and experience that would position you well for another job, or to start your own development company.

You need to judge which situation you're actually in, and in any case you need to invest some time and thought in seeing things from his point of view - as ultimately you are hoping to come up with a win/win arrangement where you both benefit. Cash isn't the only possible benefit for you - expanding your role at the front end of the business might be rewarding and valuable, for instance.

Keep in mind that first and foremost, this is a positive situation - new business to service, that will enhance your reputation. It's brought some concerns you already had to a head. So use the situation positively, and don't make the mistake of assuming the worst interpretation.

We all naturally over-estimate our contributions. Steve Covey said, "We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions." Obviously, your employer is doing a lot of things right to get a company to pay big money. With that said, it sounds like you helped him get there. If you helped build the company, you should get something beyond an employees wage. Just be earnest. Tell him that you're not like the other employees. If he's smart, he'll keep you happy.

It sounds like you're willing to hold this deal over his head as ransom. That's very Eastern European of you ;) Don't do it. This guy isn't a dummy. He'll sniff that out pretty quickly. Good luck.