Vent: A client offered me $500 flat for a full website build or a 10% stake in their 'revolutionary' app idea.

I picked the cash. The guy got mad when I wouldn't budge on my normal rate, which is way higher. He said I was missing the 'next big thing' and that my lack of vision was the problem. His 'app' was just a basic note-taking tool with a different color scheme. I finished the simple site he paid for, and he ghosted me on the final payment for three weeks. Had to send three emails to get my $500. Now I see his LinkedIn, he's pitching the same app idea to other devs. Always take the money upfront. Has anyone else been offered crazy equity deals for simple work?

4 comments

4 Comments

william_nguyen231mo ago

Equity deals are just fancy IOUs from people with no cash.

lucas3111mo ago

My buddy Jake got 15% equity for building an app last year. The founder's car got repossessed six months later. That paper is literally worthless now.

evancarter1mo ago

My cousin took 10% equity to design a whole website for a startup in Austin. Honestly, the company folded before it even launched. Tbh that equity just turned into a story about how he worked for free. It really does feel like getting a promise instead of a paycheck. I've seen too many people get burned by those paper deals.

kelly.mia7d ago

Yeah, you gotta get some cash mixed in, even if it's just a small fee to cover your time. I learned that after doing a full brand guide for 5% of a company that never got funding. Now I ask for half my normal rate plus a smaller equity slice, so I'm not totally out if it goes under. What terms are you trying to lock in?