I suggest insisting on 50/50 or client can continue to hire you as a hired gun. Don't be taken advantage of by a business guy with a lot of MBA vocabulary, flas

I suggest insisting on 50/50 or client can continue to hire you as a hired gun. Don't be taken advantage of by a business guy with a lot of MBA vocabulary, flashy decks and hocus pocus. As the CTO you ARE just as essential to making the product as your partner. Do you want to be in business with someone who undervalues you in such a way? At times, choosing not to do something can be just as beneficial to your success as doing something. If you're a badass, just remember this is not the only opportunity that will come your way. I envisioned an alt-marketplace like Witchsy about 4 years ago; tried to work with someone who had a common interest in doing the same, with someone who had the domain knowledge and access to artists. Very similar to your situation, he had paid me handsomely for custom work and deployments. When it came to the idea of collaborating, he greatly overvalued his contribution and refused an equitable split of ownership. Fast forward to last year, his shop is closed, business bankrupt. All of his so-called "business acumen" didn't amount to shit. I totally dodged a bullet. And, hire an attorney. Stock issuance, convertible notes, funding, SEC compliance, etc. can burn though a lot of cash.