I'm going to share here my friend's insight which I think is applicable. He said: New startups that have one brilliant individual often fail because these peop

I'm going to share here my friend's insight which I think is applicable. He said: New startups that have one brilliant individual often fail because these people often think it's all about them. EDIT: After reading OPs responses on this thread, I have reinforced my previous impression, and in addition I now think OP is dishonest. OP has made it clear that this is in part about power and thrills, not just equity, and that he was looking to leave the academia in search of such power and thrills. In other words, when OP shook hands with the CEO already knew that he wasn't happy with 50/50 and CTO title, but at the time he thought that was the most he could get, and now OP thinks he can get more. Completely dishonest, OP is just considering how to execute the power grab he had planned.