- "We will give you a big share of our (of-course-soon-to-be-facebook-or-google) company (15%+ in stock options) if you'll agree to work for us for close-to-nothing".
- Senior officers starting leaving the company one by one.
- Senior officers giving small promises that have tendency not to materialize.
- Senior officers do not have any/good exit track record. Opposite would be a green flag.
If you jointly owns IP - that's fine.
But if you're only an employee albeit a proud owner of large chunk of options, it's possible that real founders are just testing the market at your expense.
With 15% you can have a seat in the board or at least some voting rights. Having that it would be more difficult to just dissolve the company without any real reason.
But generally speaking you're right, thanks.
It's just a sign that it's really risky, and the other founders obviously think the odds of it succeeding are low and are asking you to put in sweat equity, as it were.
- "We will give you a big share of our (of-course-soon-to-be-facebook-or-google) company (15%+ in stock options) if you'll agree to work for us for close-to-nothing".
- Senior officers starting leaving the company one by one.
- Senior officers giving small promises that have tendency not to materialize.
- Senior officers do not have any/good exit track record. Opposite would be a green flag.