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Hi, I'm the OP! There were no engineers on this team. I have a CS background but decided that because the project would require significant AI work, the best u

Hi, I'm the OP! There were no engineers on this team. I have a CS background but decided that because the project would require significant AI work, the best use of time during the weekend would be user research and wireframing to validate the proof-of-concept. I did program management, UX design, and was "CEO"; Mark did graphic design. I don't want to get too into the weeds on what the exact breakdown of work was, but it wasn't an equal 50/50. What I know is this: - Techstars, the overall organization, doesn't provide guidance re: whether teams are hierarchical or non-hierarchical, or what should happen when and if teams split (which happens to 75% of them) - Mentors had mixed guidance; however, multiple said that because I pitched the idea, did over half of the work, and was the "project leader" I was effectively "CEO" - A lawyer I consulted with also said that without any partnership agreements promising a 50/50 split, "ownership" was mine as idea originator, project leader, etc. But putting all that aside, I think the point most often overlooked is that if this was a company, if Mark was fired and then refused to leave, he'd be escorted away by security. If he threatened to show up later representing himself as an employee and talking to investors, that would be considered a credible threat and they'd take that seriously. I didn't know if him busting into the project booth was the worst he'd try. I was considering hiring security and cancelled my trip at significant personal expense.

ohyoutravel 9y ago
Totally agree that this would be an unacceptable way to act at a company, but this isn’t a company so the comparison isn’t super relevant. However, I appreciate you taking the time to give more of your thoughts.
- amaranthine 9y ago
  Thanks! Yeah, I agree it's not a company. I simply find it's the most useful analogy because it was the closest frame of reference I had for making decisions at the time. Many companies also deal with ex-employees escalating, saying they won't accept the termination, etc. They're treated as security issues and credible threats. The difference is that companies generally have HR departments and security; I don't. :)
openmosix 9y ago
I'm not sure the (frequent) comparison you are making to a company. In a real company, he would have received a salary for his work and equity. On the "firing" day, he would have received "severance". So if you are comparing it with a company and a termination, every termination involves some level of "severance" - unless you are firing him for cause (I'm keeping the company-firing analogy). I doubt this would be a termination for cause (I don't like you/it's not a good fit) is not a termination for cause. I think the problem you have experienced is that you started a project with someone else in a team of 2. You managed him as an "employee" but he felt (right or wrong) to be a cofounder. It seems you haven't discusses this prior of the project, so somehow you got stuck with a co-founder (and everything else that followed is just that). I've been in similar situations, where cofounders have to split. It's never easy and there's always intensity involved. I'd not call them harassment though. Following again your company analogy, when you fire an employee, there is (often) drama - especially if you try to fire an employee without severance (well, in that case often there are legal problems). Anyway, if you point out he was a volunteer at a startup weekend, do not mention the company analogy. In the company analogy - regardless if he was a cofounder or an employee - he would not walk away empty handed.
- clay_to_n 9y ago
  >every termination involves some level of "severance" Where does this statement come from? I don't think that's true in the U.S., not for full-time employees and especially not for independent contractors. Especially not for an unpaid position like an intern (whether legal "for school credit" or illegal), which is what this most resembles. If she was the CEO / owner of the hypothetical company (this seems to be the point that people disagree on - was she owner or co-founder?), she absolutely has the right to fire an unpaid "employee" whose contributions were two days of work with no expectation of severance.

ohyoutravel 9y ago

Totally agree that this would be an unacceptable way to act at a company, but this isn’t a company so the comparison isn’t super relevant. However, I appreciate you taking the time to give more of your thoughts.

amaranthine 9y ago
Thanks! Yeah, I agree it's not a company. I simply find it's the most useful analogy because it was the closest frame of reference I had for making decisions at the time. Many companies also deal with ex-employees escalating, saying they won't accept the termination, etc. They're treated as security issues and credible threats. The difference is that companies generally have HR departments and security; I don't. :)

openmosix 9y ago

I'm not sure the (frequent) comparison you are making to a company. In a real company, he would have received a salary for his work and equity. On the "firing" day, he would have received "severance". So if you are comparing it with a company and a termination, every termination involves some level of "severance" - unless you are firing him for cause (I'm keeping the company-firing analogy). I doubt this would be a termination for cause (I don't like you/it's not a good fit) is not a termination for cause. I think the problem you have experienced is that you started a project with someone else in a team of 2. You managed him as an "employee" but he felt (right or wrong) to be a cofounder. It seems you haven't discusses this prior of the project, so somehow you got stuck with a co-founder (and everything else that followed is just that). I've been in similar situations, where cofounders have to split. It's never easy and there's always intensity involved. I'd not call them harassment though. Following again your company analogy, when you fire an employee, there is (often) drama - especially if you try to fire an employee without severance (well, in that case often there are legal problems). Anyway, if you point out he was a volunteer at a startup weekend, do not mention the company analogy. In the company analogy - regardless if he was a cofounder or an employee - he would not walk away empty handed.

clay_to_n 9y ago
>every termination involves some level of "severance" Where does this statement come from? I don't think that's true in the U.S., not for full-time employees and especially not for independent contractors. Especially not for an unpaid position like an intern (whether legal "for school credit" or illegal), which is what this most resembles. If she was the CEO / owner of the hypothetical company (this seems to be the point that people disagree on - was she owner or co-founder?), she absolutely has the right to fire an unpaid "employee" whose contributions were two days of work with no expectation of severance.