businessâYouâre a good programmer. Iâm a great entrepreneur. This is a breakthrough idea. Help me build it. I donât have cash, but I will give you equity. Deal?â I hear this at least once a month, and I always say no. Not because I donât like your idea. Indeed, it is really interesting. And not because Iâm too busy. I would definitely find time for a good idea. Itâs not that. I say no because I donât think youâre a good entrepreneur.
So you want a good programmer to build your product. Or maybe a group of good programmers. And you are ready to give me some equity in exchange. Thatâs reasonable.
But what is your part of the deal?
How much are you putting on the table?
You say that youâre a good entrepreneur, right? How come you donât have money, then? How come you canât find someone to pay for the work of a good programmer?
I will create a product for you, but you will most certainly fail. You already failed. You failed to find initial investment to cover the startup expenses of the business. Why do you think you will succeed after the product is ready?
The point is that a good programmer will never work for equity. Not because a good programmer is greedy, or doesnât want to risk, or doesnât believe in new ideas. Not at all.
A good programmer wants to work with a good entrepreneur. And a good entrepreneur knows how to find money. Thatâs the definition of a decent entrepreneur.
Period.
