tech-company, website, intellectual-propertyI’m not even sure if this is the right StackExchange forum to post this question in, but I want to see how others will look at this, or if I’m just crazy for making assumptions about the job market.
To give a run down, I am a web developer with knowledge of PHP, JavaScript, Java, CSS, HTML, JSON, SQL, mySQL, jQuery, BASH, linux, numerous APIs, and a little bit of Python. (I also hold 4 Microsoft office certifications, So I know my way around those sorts of things).
When I first began looking for a career as a web developer I put together my own “template” website with a bunch of features that companies would be interested in, and even hosted it with my own domain to sort of prettify it. The site could handle sign-ups, forms, payment gateways, full on forms for businesses like bowling alleys to host parties, etc etc. …After sharing this on Facebook for my friends to see a friends brother, who was creating a business with one of his coworkers, took interest in having me create their website. They were unable to pay me for my services because the business had yet to take off, but they promised a pretty good future position in their company, as well as allowing me to use the website with my name on it for any resumes.
Six months later I’ve poured basically all my heart and soul, as well as 99% of my free time, into this website while I attend school and they’re making some pretty demanding things out of the website. Still unpaid, They soon want me to sign a contract that they’ve written themselves that basically just says that anything I make for them is now their property (Which basically removes the “I can put that I made this on my resume”?), and I’m not being included in any site decisions. (IE: They made the call that they want to make clicking on certain pages taking you to ad.fly before the page, which I call is f**ing stupid and would drive people away). They also asked me to make them a whole new feature (with my skills) that has *nothing to do with their company, and they want to split the money out of it (IE; Make us this website that we can sell to other people.)!!!
The other thing that scares me is the other day they told me when they do hire other programmers in the future, when the company takes off, they want to tell the tech team “Hey, heres an idea, the person who makes it A. The Best, and B. The Fastest, gets the money and the credit, everybody else take a hike.” I am aware that competitive programming is a sport of the aforementioned, but I didn’t think it were something in companies, only something that companies would be impressed by and hire somebody for? Typically people in large companies have specified roles like Java Developer, Graphic Designer, and Database Manager. Not; “Hey you three (JD, GD, DM) compete to make the best Java application!!!”
What should I do??
TLDR: I’m w/ a “company” that wants me to do the work of every programmer on the team, w/ the role of a part time employee, and when they hire people in the future want me to compete w/ them. What do??
They were unable to pay me for my services because the business had yet to take off, but they promised a pretty good future position in their company, as well as allowing me to use the website with my name on it for any resumes.
Meaning you agreed to work for free; as in produce a work product for free.
They soon want me to sign a contract that they’ve written themselves that basically just says that anything I make for them is now their property
Makes sense, you agreed to work for them.
Which basically removes the “I can put that I made this on my resume”
Unless the agreement explicitly states that you’re unable to publicly state you made something, unclear how you would be unable to do so; making something and owning it are not the same thing.
I’m not being included in any site decisions
Right, it’s not your business, you agreed to work for them.
What should I do?
Don’t work for free, get your compensation in writing before starting any work, and stop agreeing to anything based on some future yet to be defined outcome.
You are learning a valuable lesson that many of us have learned before. 1) Always have a contract. 2) Never work for promises.
Since this was a verbal agreement its pretty sticky. It seems kind of weird that someone with your computer knowledge would agree to work for free for 6 months just to then be rewarded with a job? People on Elance etc would hire you now. One website with all the bells and whistles is good enough to get a paying job even if its at a starting rate.
Did you agree to a timeline for them to offer you the “pretty good” future position in the company? If so has that timeline passed?
If they initially agreed to allow you to have your name on the site and advertise you did it but now they are asking for you to sign a new agreement stating otherwise, then don’t agree to it if you dont want to.
Are you hosting the site or are they?
I host new websites on my own server. If a client doesn’t pay per our written agreement, I suspend the website until payments are made current. Of course I have a clear agreement in writing.
It seems to me you are being taken advantage of and they are not offering just compensation. I’m sure a legal aid place could give you the best advice.
Seems like a simple enough situation to me. If you have yet to sign their contract and have never been compensated in any way for your efforts, just take a copy of your software and leave. Lacking any technical skills, the parasites who have exploited your naivety so far, will quickly go out of business (if they were ever officially in business to begin with).
Depending upon how unique their initial idea was, you may not want to immediately start a competing business against them. They may try to Winklevoss you, once you get the business going. But you should be able to re-purpose your code base to a related industry and get into business for yourself.
Be careful in the future who you shake hands with. It means more than most of us think. …and stop thinking like an employee. You obviously can afford to live without having to earn a wage. That is a rare moment in life and should not be squandered. Go create a business that makes money for you, rather than a job that compensates you for making money for others.
Good Luck!
Your original question still seems to be unanswered.
It seems that :
I would give them the finger, don’t give them the code base and just walk off. Not sure if this is legal tho, so double check..
Also this question would get a far better answer if it was asked in SE - Programmers.
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