Questions regarding all things related to employment of people in the company.
3
votes
1answer
934 views
What's a good ratio between founder equity and early employee equity?
I'm looking into the equity for the 2nd employee of an early-stage startup. I've seen lots of rules of thumbs out there (some people say 1%) but it's hard to apply because some rules of thumb refer ...
1
vote
3answers
327 views
How much profit-sharing should I give my secretary / marketer?
I am a part-time programmer contractor and usually I do everything myself, including meeting clients, writing the proposal, programming, the whole 9 yards. I would like to hire someone to split the ...
7
votes
4answers
4k views
Do employees get paid during the time a business is closed for renovations?
I'm curious if a company has to (or if it is normal to) pay their employees if they, for instance, close the business for a while for renovations.
For a specific case, say a restaurant closes for a ...
0
votes
1answer
478 views
How many employees do we need?
My co-founder and I are in the very early stages of launching our website. My day job is in finance, a highly-intense industry, to say the least. I very rarely have downtime during the day and our ...
5
votes
4answers
316 views
How to attract talent as startup?
What are the best ways in attracting talent to a startup? Is it salary, a cool brand, a cool office or something else? Equity is pretty much a standard so I'm looking for some other tips.
A while ...
-1
votes
2answers
207 views
What title to give to a non-founder first person in company
This question is a follow up to another question but it stands as a question by itself so i decided to ask it separately..
i am a single-founder starting a company and hence looking for ...
10
votes
15answers
1k views
Employee abusing sick leave
We have a very important employee at our startup who has been consistently abusing sick days. Unfortunately being a small company we would have a very hard time replacing him at this point but his ...
3
votes
1answer
197 views
Intellectual Property and Side-Projects in Western Europe
Joel's answer on "If I'm working at a company, do they have intellectual property rights to the stuff I do in my spare time?" certainly was an interesting read. However, it was pretty much centred ...
2
votes
4answers
466 views
Why can't a startup “own” its employees when sport clubs can?
Soccer clubs (at least in Europe) "own" their players for the duration of the contracts. These players are working for their clubs in a very similar way to employees working for startups. My question, ...
1
vote
2answers
430 views
Why is free lunch so good for a company
I am in the process of trying to convince my boss to have catered lunches at work. The company is still in its scrappy startup phase so money is a little tight. I was wondering if anyone could point ...
1
vote
2answers
123 views
Legal issues in setting up an affiliate program?
Are there any legal issues with setting up an affiliate program? Basically a system where people can get rewarded for referrals.
Even if there's nothing major, are there any words you should make ...
3
votes
4answers
150 views
How do I know if a potential new employee is a “long-term” unemployed person?
This pertains to the president's proposed new tax breaks for businesses. PBS Newshour
5
votes
4answers
646 views
How to quit full-time job for startup?
My co-founder and I met each other at our current company. However, we are intending on quitting our jobs within the next few weeks for our startup. The startup and our current employer are in two ...
4
votes
3answers
119 views
How would you sell a development team?
Is there a site, or resources, for a development team in need of a start up?
I'm in a bit of a odd situation here, in that I built a development team of 6 people for a privately funded social ...
1
vote
2answers
351 views
Where to find designers / programmers for equity
Investors want to see the finished project (+ maybe private beta results).
I came a long way, but I have the feeling that I cant run the last couple of miles without being surpassed by competition.
I ...
1
vote
2answers
115 views
Should I do it all alone or co-operate with others?
I have builded some web startups earlier with medium winnings. I have to say that the whole work was done by myself as I have the ability to do it programmatically. However I think I am not the best ...
4
votes
5answers
384 views
How to convince employees of small business to make a difference in the world?
I am owner of a small start up web+mobile development company. We are 2 full time programmers (including myself) and 4 part time programmers. I asked my team a question: Do you think it's important ...
3
votes
3answers
350 views
Hiring siblings
There are 12 ppl in my organisation. Should I hire siblings of people already working for my organisation? I mean its not a big deal for a big company, but such a decision should be thought upon in a ...
4
votes
3answers
236 views
Code Quality in Boot Strapped Startup
I am running a boot-strapped startup with another technical co-founder and we are making revenue (not profitable yet) and things are extremely tight. We are both experienced programmers and my ...
3
votes
1answer
327 views
No employer contract, what IP rights do I have?
Ive been employeed by an Advertising agency for coming up on 3 years now as a web developer. Prior to my employment I was a subcontractor hired by this same agency for about 3 years. I have had many ...
2
votes
4answers
252 views
Should I use my company's IP?
I've been working for a company as a contractor for several months. While working for this company, I created some seriously sensitive IP. This is IP that is nigh on patentable.
My employment with ...
1
vote
2answers
464 views
Compensation for early startup employee - what is the right balance?
If my company is profitable and able to pay early startup employee at the market salary (compare to MSFT, Google, Apple etc) , should I still need to pay for significant amount of option to them?
...
6
votes
2answers
303 views
Is it ethical for an employee to start a similar business?
Is ethical for an employee quitting to start a similar business?
What do you think?
4
votes
2answers
437 views
What are the key qualities you look for in a candidate for startups?
I know that it is very difficult to gauge a candidate's attitude / work ethics from the start. What are the most important things you look for a candidate that will be fit for a startup software ...
2
votes
2answers
745 views
Founder stocks and Employee pool
Is it common to issue equity to CEO as Preferred stock but other co-founders as Common stock?
When setting up a 20% employee pool, it is common to have terms that the unissued equity will be issued ...
4
votes
3answers
500 views
Are co-founders employees? Do they need to be paid minimum wage?
If there is a co-founder with 20% equity in the company but no salary, what is his status in the company? Should he be considered an employee? What is the difference between a cofounder and an ...
0
votes
1answer
150 views
Technical Minded Team Experience Or General Work Experience
To preface this, I'm a kid in high school that enjoys playing with ruby and ruby on rails. During the summer, my web development passion gets close to 100% of my time, but during the school year it ...
2
votes
3answers
355 views
How much cash reserves should you plan to have before hiring?
We're at a point where we need to hire at 1-2 employees, and I'm not sure how much cash to have on hand. We're a SaaS product, with growing traction and on target to be cash-flow neutral next year. ...
0
votes
1answer
92 views
Employee Payment - From an Investor's Prospective
In the development stage of launching a start up. I am initially outsourcing the development as I am not located in a place where there is an abundance of programmers. The dev timeline is 6 weeks. ...
5
votes
4answers
125 views
A lawyer offered service for equity and potentially joining the company
A lawyer offered service for equity and potentially joining the company full time as legal counsel/business dev guy. Is this reasonable? What percentage of the company should I offer him? It's a ...
2
votes
5answers
261 views
When to say yes, I need to get employees to help me?
What are the terms to get new employees, I am asking about when regarding, money, salaries, place, and sure number of projects in hand.
And when to say no, I can keep going solo, or with the current ...
3
votes
3answers
313 views
If I launch a new division within my employer's company, should it be treated as a separate startup?
I've been working for my current employer for the past several years as CTO. I recently pitched them on starting a separate division that is more entrepreneurial and experimental to spin out ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
To find out if someone has been fired from his previous job
How can an employer find out if an employee has been fired or left on good terms from a previous job at a large company?
2
votes
1answer
200 views
Question about IP and sweat equity in California
I've been part of a startup that has so far done nothing or gone anywhere in almost a year. I have pretty much given up on the place but I am curious if I can walk out with an game pitch I created. I ...
2
votes
2answers
520 views
Paying Friend/Programmer/Developer to code Startup Website. Also give Percentage? How to keep Accountable?
I have an income and a website idea. I know nothing about programming. I have a friend who is a programmer, comp-sci major, and so to get my idea created into a website I am paying them an hourly wage ...
5
votes
3answers
194 views
Are there Internet startups that became successful without enormous time commitment from employees?
The software and Internet startup companies I've worked for required 60, 80, or more hours a week of their employees (not just founders), for extended periods of time, up to a year. Are there examples ...
2
votes
9answers
356 views
How to Guide the Amount that Employees Work?
I run a well-funded startup. We're fortunate to have built a kick-ass team with a great product and good early traction. But I worry that our team's work ethic is sliding into stasis. Most of my ...
3
votes
2answers
134 views
Planning to do a startup in USA from my country, were I can find employees?
Im planning to hire 3 employees in a soon to be corporation in USA, but I would be only a director because of my passive role as a non immigrant. How I can find qualified people, meet them in a trip ...
9
votes
4answers
301 views
Contractors Vs Employees
As a UK based tech start up working on a social app, what are the pros and cons of hiring contractors on a full time basis to build the app, against hiring the same people as employees?
Edit:
Let me ...
1
vote
4answers
256 views
Will employer invest in my idea?
Let me describe a situation I happened to be in by now several times. I work in the field of detector/electronics/imaging systems development. I often get some new technical ideas and solutions, ...
2
votes
3answers
304 views
Remote employee in China?
My niche software developing startup needs specialist developers. I have located an individual in China with proven experience in my field. How can I best go about working with him?
I can't employ ...
6
votes
5answers
232 views
How should the next generation of employees be?
I recently read a news article (in Norwegian) that "the ability to cooperate" was essentially the only requirement for applicants, which was just as relevant 50 years ago as it is today, while ...
11
votes
7answers
4k views
First employee at Y Combinator funded company
I may have the chance to be the first employee of a startup going to the YC summer 2011 program.
The thing is I think they are planning to cover my expenses but not to actually pay me or offer any ...
3
votes
2answers
115 views
Hiring an employee in the USA
We're an Israeli Company that wants to expand to the USA, we have already close the commercial details with a very experienced executive in the USA, now we have to decide how we can hire him, we asked ...
1
vote
2answers
196 views
What can I do with 10 employees?
I live in DR, here the wage is very low, so I can get 10 employees at very low price (High school education/University student, good English, good typing skills, word/excel/etc knowledge, what else?). ...
4
votes
1answer
442 views
New employee at startup and found problems
I started a new job at a startupish (2007) company, upon looking at how their system works. I found problems with their database, software, and overall project management. This isn't just errors or ...
2
votes
3answers
276 views
Identifying failing and bad start-up companies (for sofware developers)
I recently caught up with a former colleague, a mid-level software developer. For the last year, he has been at a failing (badly), self-funded, single-owner software startup.
According to him, the ...
2
votes
5answers
565 views
Using a Staffing Agency - Is it a Bad Idea?
If you've exhausted your personal network (and friends' networks), and now need to hire people who have skills that you don't have, would you try working with a staffing agency?
I've heard a lot of ...
4
votes
7answers
1k views
How can I transition my employer to being a consulting client?
I'm thinking about different options for my startup. Currently I'm a full time employee at a company where I love to work, but I would also like to have something of my own. The idea is to have ...
4
votes
4answers
669 views
How do I disclose a small startup I created on the side to my employer?
I am a lawyer in a mid-sized law firm and have founded a very small start-up to just sell one legal software program online.
I had the idea for the program, worked with a great software developer ...
