#StartupDrama #CoFounderIssues #EthicalDilemma
Hey everyone! 👋 So, I’ve found myself in a bit of a sticky situation with my co-founder. Turns out, he’s been trying to take advantage of me and my contributions to our startup. Not cool, right?
Here’s the thing – he has some great UI/UX designs in Figma, but thankfully, I haven’t signed anything binding yet. Now, I’m contemplating whether I should use his designs, rebrand them, build our product, and walk away with 100% equity. Is this ethical, considering how he’s been treating me?
Here are some thoughts and possible solutions:
– Maybe consider having a serious conversation with your co-founder about your concerns and see if you can come to a fair resolution.
– Consult with a legal professional to understand your rights and options in this situation.
– Think about the long-term repercussions of taking such a drastic step and how it might affect your reputation in the industry.
Ultimately, do what you feel is best for your startup and your own well-being. Remember, trust and integrity are key in any successful partnership. Let’s discuss and share our insights on how to handle situations like this! 🤔 #StartupAdvice #CollaborationNotConfrontation
How have you been helping him, how did you two meet
Hi
Even though he did what he did, you shouldn’t do what you are thinking of.
You can harm him equal to the harm he caused to you, this will be fair. More than that, you are unfair and it’s a sin on you.
And if you forgive, that will be a super best thing to do.
Okay now, you can do something: regenerate the design with your touches by this it’s your own.
Make a deal that when you are profitable to give him a payment and that’s it
If all you have is Figma designs you can’t really screw him. A slightly rebrand could/would result in copyright take downs. A DMCA takedown is super easy to do.
That’s neither ethical or legal.
Not sure what they did to you, but it wouldn’t excuse this.
Tbh if you don’t know him well this could be a very risky move since they’ll want to bite back again and you’ll create an unnecessary enemy.
Yeah, no. Leave and do your own thing. Do not use anything from other people that you do not have the license or rights to.
People copy designs all the time. There is a group in Germany that literally clones websites for use in Europe.
If there is no revenue involved, I don’t see any repercussions coming your way from a legal standpoint.
That being said, starting a company from a point for revenge will guarantee failure.
Businesses copy ALL the time.
There is no copyright on uiux design
If you think that business is about the design and programming, you’re going to fail so hard.
> Don’t know how ethical this is
Yes, you do. Your post isn’t about whether your idea is ethical. Your post is asking other people to give you support for acting unethically.
Not worth it. Sucks but it’s better to be the victim than the victimizer.
Unless he slept with your wife and then killed your dog, use your intelligence and create your own thing. Walk away tall. This isn’t me all , “take the moral high ground.” This is me saying: Make better use of your energy, head space, and time.
Just leave him, no need to have enemy while you’r in biz
Living well is life’s best revenge. Move on and rock something else.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes
eat the L and go build something better, anything else is a waste of time
My friend you are maybe not cut out for startups
Sounds like you are the person taking advantage of someone else mate…
I have a great idea, looking for a co-founder. Dm me.
Youd lower yourself to his level. Find a way to split things fairly and part ways
It’s not worth it, no point starting something just to screw someone over eventually they’ll catch up to you and it’ll all be just unwanted stress
Another person’s behavior is not an excuse for your own unethical behavior.
I’d take the high road if I were you. It’s the best thing to do from a legal standpoint. You don’t want this to come back and bite you in the future
Tell us the idea and we’ll let you know if its worth the risk 🙂
Make sure to wrap it up first 😇
Just use the learning experience and move on. He might be the first to be a douche to you but he wont be the last. Its not worth it to let it affect you so much. Negativity can poison you over time.
So you’re saying you’re okay being a giant piece of shit to someone because you can justify it as equivalency? Really says what kind of person you are.
Take your stuff, walk away, don’t exploit others. Startups are way, way more than some code and design materials.
What’s the backstory in this one?
Just ask for a design on Fiverr pay 5 people $50
nice guy vibes and red flag tbh 🚩
Do you really want revenge or a dogfight with a chance to lose? At least you now know something to avoid next time. In Hollywood, I’ve heard, that people end up doing business (later?) with the people that stabbed them in the back. Instead of focusing on revenge focus on trying to get what you need out of the situation, even if it’s only getting free and clear and onto something better. Or avoiding having a lifelong dedicated enemy.
Lots of weird comments here. Ethics? Forget that. My startup was novel and guess what happened: We got ripped off left and right. (Yes, I know we did, because we are a browser extension that hooks into their existing sessions so people can’t make fake accounts – I followed all the people who installed our extension and watched numerous of them launch clones of my product) So forget ethics, as soon as you go live everyone, their mom, and their dog will steal your designs and rip you off anyway so what’s the damn difference to you having talked to this guy personally beforehand? Strangers would steal his designs almost immediately anyways…
Regarding legality, I’d note two things: (1) Just because there is no agreement in writing does not mean there is *no agreement*. Verbal agreements can be binding (though very hard to prove)… which brings me to (2) How strong would his case be about the verbal agreement and would he really spend money litigating? We’re talking $100K+ for litigation.
He seems like a scumbag, based on your previous post. He wanted you to do 100% of the work, then ghost you and take the money for himself.
Did he have you sign an NDA? Either way, the figma designs are probably copyrighted, so it’s not a great plan to build them out by yourself. I see (and feel) your frustration, but don’t use the designs that he paid for. If he *built* the designs himself as opposed to just buying them, copying them is an even worse plan.
What was his big idea anyways? It’s probably not that unique or valuable. I’ve noticed that you’re looking for an “idea person” — why aren’t you confident in your ability to come up with ideas yourself?
The value in a non-technical cofounder is never the idea. The classic division of labor is to have one founder handle product/operations, and have the other one handle growth/sales/fundraising.
I’d advise you to try to come up with your own idea and find a good match to help with early sales. It seems like you’re searching for somebody to tell you what to do — if that’s the case, you’re looking for a boss, not a partner.
Find somebody who will respect what you bring to the table both in terms of technical competency and creativity. Make sure you respect them too. Then brainstorm an idea and run with it!
While tit-for-tat _is_ the winning strategy in the indeterminate prisoners dilemma, it is possible to go overboard and fuck yourself harder than he ever could. Often, for this very reason, the best revenge is a life well lived.
Ideas are a dime a dozen, execution is all that matters. Move on, don’t be an ass. Life is too short.
Yeah, bang ‘em.
You are not cut out for startups.
You don’t have a cofounder. You have someone who made some designs you are trying to steal.
You’re the bad guy here. Lmfao.