This contradicts advice I've been given by lawyers in silicon valley who specialize in putting together large deals with startups.
Unequal ownership signals that there are known fault lines that may get ugly later. Whose ego is so large that they insist on having 55% vs 50% of a new venture they are starting with a co-founder they respect?
The formula in this article would seem to be the sort of thing that would sometimes seem to have been a good idea (in retrospect) but would rarely help to align everyone's incentives.
Why would any full time founder accept part time participation from a co-founder? Very simple -- it's a funding strategy, not an indication of the part timer's level of commitment. If starting off as part time is what it takes to bootstrap through the an angel round, then there is likely a great eagerness on the part of the part timer to quit his day job and become full time.
As a founder, be aware of those who want to stroke your ego. All the nonsense in that article about CEO deserving more, etc., seems designed to stroke egos and lead to the founders doing whatever the lawyers tell them.
Unequal ownership signals that there are known fault lines that may get ugly later. Whose ego is so large that they insist on having 55% vs 50% of a new venture they are starting with a co-founder they respect?
The formula in this article would seem to be the sort of thing that would sometimes seem to have been a good idea (in retrospect) but would rarely help to align everyone's incentives.
Why would any full time founder accept part time participation from a co-founder? Very simple -- it's a funding strategy, not an indication of the part timer's level of commitment. If starting off as part time is what it takes to bootstrap through the an angel round, then there is likely a great eagerness on the part of the part timer to quit his day job and become full time.
As a founder, be aware of those who want to stroke your ego. All the nonsense in that article about CEO deserving more, etc., seems designed to stroke egos and lead to the founders doing whatever the lawyers tell them.