ASk HN: second thoughts about joining startup - what to do?
DistortedRhymes: You seem to have left your thinking about a lot of important issues to too late. You seem to have assumed that you would be equal business partners when the two of you should have been smart enough to work all this out in advance.I don't see why you are concerned that you have signed an NDA. As you say it means you can't tell other people about the workings of the start-up, which is exactly what the NDA is designed to do. Why would you want to go and divulge information about the company to anyone outside it - thats really concerns me as a business owner. Your friend is working full time, and you might be capable of 3 hours a day five days a week by the sound of it so the relationship doesn't seem equal. Sure you have the technical programming skills, but the real value is in the idea and execution of the idea. He could just hire someone to do the technical parts but obviously he may not have start-up money to do this which is where your real value lies in being able to negotiate some equity for your work.You shouldn't question trust in your friend because of the NDA, you should see that he is smart and looking to protect the start-ups ideas in the best interests of everyone (yourself included if you have an ownership share in the end). I am in a similar situation of executing an idea I have had for years, and its very scary to think about others stealing your ideas for their own benefit after you have put so much thought into something.