Question
I've been talking to a reputable outsourcing company about doing a software project with them where I would lead a team and would implement an PaaS project that I have in the early-stage.
The idea and expertise are mine: I have a very good understanding of the product and market, and I have proven experience in training and leading a team.
They would help me with formulating a business plan, office space, and salary for me and 2 others (full-time), help with recruitment etc. for the foreseeable future (6-12 months).
We will be using fairly new tech, and they'll require us to spread the knowledge to the larger team (70-100 people) by doing trainings, workshops, etc.
In addition, it's likely they'll need me for some client-facing work for their blooming outsourcing business in the EU: 2-3 days at a time to act as tech consultant for prospects.
All in all, it looks like a great partnership, and they seem genuinely nice people, with a proven record, with whom I'd like to work.
They're offering a competitive salary for a senior-level programmer, not quite there for a technical team lead. In addition, they asked me to name a percentage of shares that I'd like to have.
How do I evaluate? What split seems fair?
Thank you very much for any insights!
Answer
Are you getting a percentage of the outsourcing company or are they starting a new company with your product? It's very hard to answer this if the former, due to not knowing the value of the existing company and what the value is of what you're adding to it. If the latter, then I would suggest you ask for 50%, or an equal share of whoever has the highest share.
