tech-company, yc-how-to-start-a-startupwe are four friends will launch new company (They help me in programming …etc) originally idea is mine and this company will be responsible for new projects and companies .
Are we all will be titled as co-founders ? what if we all have name founder ?
Another serious question when we open a new company under our main company , who will be co-founder or founder in this one or none of us will participate again in new companies as we consider actual owners and search for another one for managing it ..
It all depends on country in which you are going to establish a legal entity like Corporation (US), Limited Liability Company (UK) etc. Each country has own corporate law. There are always many types of “companies”. Main two groups are - limited liability companies (closed types and usually small) and joint-stock companies (opened types). First you have do decide which type of business legal entity meets your business needs. After that couple of registration documents like articles of incorporation/association (main company rules describing the power of the Board of directors for example) and Memorandum of association (founder’s or all co-founder’s decision to found a new legal entity and agreement to be it’s members with legal power and responsibility)
When one person is registrating a new legal entity this person becomes a “Founder”. In other case when there are more then one person establshing a new legal entity there are no founders, all of persons will become “Co-founders”. Steve Jobs was a co-founder of Apple but never a founder. Apple was founded (registered as legal entity) by many people. To sum up it depends only on quantity of persons signing registration documents.
In future you can call yourself whatever you want - President, Director, CEO. In civil/private law everything which is not forbidden is allowed. However, you will have to sign all documents addressed only to Goverment / Commercial Register as a Founder or a Co-founder. Usually if not mensioned in the articles of incorporation when company is founded by many persons all co-founders have to sign a legal document.
The answer to your second question about the subcompany is the same. Legal business (company) might be established not only by persons but also by another companies and in this case your main company will be founder or a co-founder and of course you will have a power to decide who will be a CEO / representative of your subcompany / department etc.
Terms like “founder,” “co-founder” etc have a meaning, but no legal status in any jurisdiction I know. So you can call yourselves what you like, and change that when you like.
If you create a company, some or all of you may be members of the Board of Directors. That’s a legal status, it’s public, and it carries duties. However, if you see the term “Director” on a business card, that may be just another title.
Nothing hinges on what you call yourselves, unless there’s a community that’s important to you and you wish to somehow credential yourselves with them - in which case, use titles like they do.
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