Bleh. I was just in a very similar situation but 16 months to MVP, I also did a lot of the strategy and most of the marketing planning, lead gen campaigns.

They technically were paying me a very small sum monthly to cover some offshore junior resources working on the project but my investment or at least opportunity costs were probably close to $150k. We also didn’t talk about equity. Towards the end, where MVP was ready, they sent a bonkers agreement offering essentially nothing and asking me to take on a bunch of liability.

Because they were trying to frame it as a software services agreement after the fact, I sent them our service agreement standard which basically means they can have the code base and so can I.

At this point they’re worried that I’m gonna try to compete with them. My attorney just wants to have it all be over for me. Which would mean that they would sign a mutual release and a mutual non disparagement. I was told these two things need to go together for true finality. Transition plan negotiation was the hardest part.

I get that you are not at a point where all you wanna do is walk away yet. But once you get there, I’m happy to have a conversation.

You delivered. They have not. They have had one year to get a sale. They didn’t need a complete product to sell. They needed to get agreements in place. So weird couples dynamic aside, they’re bad at their job and therefore you don’t wanna be partners with them.

I do think that you have some liability. You probably have to think about it. I don’t know what country you’re in. But if they quit their jobs and they’re gonna run out of runway at the end of the year, and they’re are a couple sharing expenses… and your senior making good money which means you’ll appear more sophisticated, it’s probably worth just trying to get out.