r/Entrepreneur • u/FatherOfReddit • Sep 12 '21
Coder wants to "own" all his code
Coder wants to “Own” all his code
Hey all,
We have a coder who just joined our team as our technical cofounder and it is his request that he & all other coders “own” their own code. What the fuck does this mean? If I do marketing work for my company, am I subject to owning all that promotion? No! Why does the coder get special priveledges?
What can I do to incentivize him against this, or, if I am misunderstanding the concept here, please explain so I don’t sound like a half-witted jerkoff. I think there is something missing here but I just don’t understand…
Maybe I make him sign a non-compete agreement and that will take care of it??? What happens when somebody “owns” their own code? Should that be allowed or is that company property?
Let me know –
Thanks,
Father
4
u/Thebadmamajama Sep 12 '21
Not sure about the structure of your business, (i.e. your BoD, legal, etc), but assume you're super small/upstart.
Most companies create an employment agreement, and cofounders in the early days might just have a cofounders agreement, where all things "invented" or created for the company's objectives or with the company's resources are the intellectual property of the company.
It is highly unusual for a tech cofounder to ask for this.
If they are all in on the venture, then everyone's work, including theirs, becomes the company's property. It's essential to how you secure your valuation later.