network profile
| bio | website | |
|---|---|---|
| location | San Francisco CA | |
| age | 33 | |
| visits | member for | 2 years, 6 months |
| seen | Jun 10 '12 at 1:45 | |
| stats | profile views | 18 |
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Jun 6 |
comment |
Evaluating initial contribution in a business startup Good third possibility raised by @Jontas. That's an option if the 'partnership' of A and B won't work. A can write code, but the first inclination is to work with B since A is familiar with the IP that B has bought, having contributed to it at his previous company. Time to market and revenue will be quicker if A works with the revived old software rather than with newly developed software. |
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Jun 6 |
revised |
Evaluating initial contribution in a business startup rectified errors |
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Jun 6 |
asked | Evaluating initial contribution in a business startup |
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Apr 26 |
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Founders' reliance on IT manager/network admin This is insightful and well-considered. Thanks Nissan! Part of the anxiety for a backup stems from the fact that he is in his 60's. |
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Apr 23 |
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Business strategy vs technology strategy Jorge: Bingo, that's the question everyone is asking me now! Only now with the funding just about to come in, he is starting to talk about the terms of his offer. Till now I didn't think he will shortchange me so much. And when we started out 18 months ago, he told me he would hire me as a CTO/tech head. I would have accepted it if he had got funded in 1-2 months. When it dragged on and on since late 2009 till now, I worked on such aspects as vision/strategy, roadmap & initial prospects which I am bringing in now. We never regrouped formally to accommodate my enlarged input into the startup. |
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Apr 23 |
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Business strategy vs technology strategy (1) He is looking at me as a hired hand and not giving me a co-founder status (i.e., founder level equity) (2) he is offering me about 30-40% of market rate for a CTO of my qualifications, experience and duties needed in this job. He knows I worked 18 months on what I am bringing into the company, and that without that work the company won't get strated (let alone stand to succeed). Prospective key initial employees will ask basic questions like: what is the company business vision/strategy? Is there customer interest? Who are the initial prospects? etc. I am bringing the answers. |
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Apr 22 |
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The case of a co-founder (seeking answers on compensation/equity stake) I am returning to this thread after a few months as my startup is about to get off the ground now. As of now, my colleague founding the business is coming on board as CEO, taking acre of accounting, facilities and general ops. I am bringing business vision/strategy, tech roadmap, initial key employees and most of all, a pool of industry contacts (he has none) from which two are initial customers. No equity to the intermediary providing loan financing. We both will draw salary. Has my leverage changed? Thanks! |
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Apr 22 |
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Business strategy vs technology strategy Matt, if you think I will widen the range of responses to my question if it is altered, please feel free to edit it. thanks! |
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Apr 22 |
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Business strategy vs technology strategy Yes, my question on title is part of the larger question of 'what's in this for me'. He is offering others roughly 66% of market rate. I am not being offered founder equity (I will be asking for it). But I am told there will be stock options-- in broad, generic terms. I have worked on it like a co-founder but as we are about to get going, he is treating me as an employee and vaguely offering to give me a 'joining bonus' for my foundational work! (We never had any formal agreement about working together so far). |
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Apr 22 |
awarded | Commentator |
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Apr 22 |
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Business strategy vs technology strategy The shareholding and salary/benefit terms are about to be negotiated. I am being seen as a hired hand, not a co-founder. The salary he proposes to offer is less than half of the market rate, and less than what I made as a senior engineer nearly a decade ago! It seemed to me that the overloading of other duties under the CTO title was an instrument of shortchanging. |
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Apr 22 |
revised |
Business strategy vs technology strategy deleted 2 characters in body |
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Apr 22 |
asked | Business strategy vs technology strategy |
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Apr 22 |
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Commission for in-house sales activity He is the money guy who will be in charge of accounting and facilities, as CEO. I bring vision, strategy, tech roadmap, an initial team of 3 other paid engineers, contacts and business potential, to be appointed CTO&VP of Strategy. We will both be drawing salary. |
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Apr 22 |
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Commission for in-house sales activity The founder has just begun telling be (verbally) what the components of his offer wil be in general terms. All I know is that the base salary will cover CTO duties, bonuses will be paid for technology milestones, and commission will be paid for sales activity resulting in revenue. I will have stock options. I am asking him for founder equity for my activities contributing to the formation of the company, and value I am bringing into the startup (technology roadmap, business strategy, the necessary key employees needed to build the technology, industry contacts and initial customer prospects). |
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Apr 22 |
asked | Commission for in-house sales activity |
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Mar 22 |
comment |
Conflict of Interest Scenarios That's terrific advice! There is a fair likelihood of each of the scenarios in my current startup endeavor. Much as I would like my startup to benefit from the relationships, I am mindful of legal implications for both parties. I suppose a proper disclosure (by both parties) will "let me have the cake and eat it too", in the sense of benefitting from the relationships while preserving legality. The key here is proper disclosure. Thanks! |
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Mar 14 |
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Conflict of Interest Scenarios Thanks! How about a seventh scenario: I am a co-founder of a startup. I personally make a small 'angel investment' in another startup of a friend. Down the road, I develop a business relation with that startup for licensing my technology to them and doing partnered development, with revenue and IP sharing potential... |
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Mar 13 |
revised |
Conflict of Interest Scenarios erratum |
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Mar 13 |
awarded | Editor |
