I manage inventory with Excel and need a technical co-founder — how should we split the work and equity?

You must include these three clauses in the agreement: 1) The 15-hour weekly commitment must be documented via a written task management tool, 2) The company must have the right of buyback at nominal par value if the partner decides to leave, 3) All written code and database architecture must belong to the company, not the individual.

Do you really need to reinvent the wheel for a 6,000-SKU auto parts setup? There are plenty of ready-to-use cloud warehouse management platforms out there for 300 to 500 AED a month. Have you considered trying an off-the-shelf ERP solution instead of commissioning custom software and remaining forever dependent on a single developer?

We made the exact same mistake with our logistics company last year. We gave a part-time developer 20 percent equity, and three months in, he stopped development due to his heavy workload at his main job. We had to pay 25,000 AED in severance just to buy back his shares. Absolutely do not give equity upfront.

building inventory and warehouse automation for 6,000 SKUs on 10 hours a week will take at least a year. i mean just a heads up, youll end up spending 20 hours a week chasing after the developer instead of the 15 hours youre trying to save on fixing formulas.

For companies with physical capital, you never give 30 percent for part-time tech support; the absolute ceiling is the 5 to 10 percent range.

30 percent is way too high man. the dev finishes the code or disappears and one third of your company is gone. offer a performance bonus and profit share instead of equity if they don't take it just look into off-the-shelf software imo.

Ditching Excel is definitely the right call, your business is right on the verge of real growth. If you decide to move forward with a technical partner, clearly define milestones: don't transfer any shares until barcode scanning, warehouse transfers, and invoicing modules are fully functional. Best of luck with the process.

The cheap-looking path usually ends up costing more later. Taking notes for two weeks yields better results than a six-month estimate.

I agree.

My perspective changed after experiencing that. Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.

Quick summary for newcomers: The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

Trying to do this alone is the most expensive way.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

Following.

We've heard this a lot, but it never happened like that for us. Give trial work but pay for it; free trials don't bind anyone.

Of course, it varies if your situation is different.

We've heard this a lot, but it never happened like that for us. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

Most time waste accumulates in tasks waiting for approval.

yes that's exactly how it is with Excel inventory management. anyway any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently.

are you looking for a partner or a co-founder? they are two different things then good luck with that.

We need to make a distinction here. If decision-making authority isn't defined, it causes daily issues, not just during exits.

Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more. If I were you, I'd go this route.

Let me clarify the technical side. If IP assignment to the company isn't written from the start, it can't be collected later.

If I were you, I'd go this route.