Is there any chance that the engineers can get some "sweat equity" in the company ? It really does align the interests of the engineers with the outcome of the

Is there any chance that the engineers can get some "sweat equity" in the company ? It really does align the interests of the engineers with the outcome of the company, and can be a positive if it helps you get through this existential crisis (100% of zero is still zero). This is exactly what I tried, in vain, to convince the owner of the company (that I described in my original reply) to do. I also recommended that they let any non-essential personnel go and stick with the bare minimum core that they needed to actually finish the product. And yes, it will take longer to get the product done, but unless you're doing a product that is easily replicated (doubtful, if it's enterprise), then it really doesn't matter. Good enterprise software typically lasts for decades, not years.