Comments for Post #C27329

#C27329 35F Few years ago, while I was still a doctoral student, during one of the international conference I connected with a top FAANG leader. I used to post about my research in Linkedin and he later reached out to me to work for him. Interview process was very detailed and they explained how I can add value to their team. I joined with a very good package. After joining I was pushed to a different project with a new team which I had no previous experience about, yet I delivered my best and made the project a success. So fastforward 3 years, I had a very complicated pregnancy, the FAANG leader who hired me helped me work completely from home during the later months. I worked till the last day before my delivery with the same diligence as before. I gave birth to a healthy baby but my health detoriated because of post c-section complications. It compelled me to resign the job as they were not allowing any more WFH for me. Just as I was going through the resignation, the same FAANG leader reached out to me to work for him for his startup. Since I had no offers at hand, and was desperately looking for jobs, I thought lets just give it a try. Note that the startup was just an idea for him at that time and I along with few others formalized that idea and built the working model. There was no paperwork, no salary, no legal binding yet. Just a NDA was signed. I kept on checking with him about registering the company and what would be the cap table for each of us, and that I would like to draw a salary, he kept on postponing saying everyone is making sacrifices. Mind you this FAANG leader actually never left his job, he moved to a better role after starting this side- project startup with us, when questioned, he says he will lead the GTM and his role allows him to meet influencial VCs and potential customers, but he becomes angry if any of us, talks about looking for a side-role to make our ends meet. So this kept on going, its over a year now, company registration has just started but no cap table, so legal document has been drafted or shared to us. He alone will become the director. No salary, but we are pushing ourselves to complete the full work. So after a year I told him that I am in a bad financial condition and need to have some kind of earning and he bashed out at me saying you should not be in these meetings if you donot want to work with us, and added all those legal jargons that I can sue you if you talk about our work to other companies, and I can blacklist you. He even said its because of me you got the job before, etc etc. I have mentioned about facing financial difficulties before too, he just stalls it everytime saying later you will get what you deserve. Now I am torn as to what to do. I do want to develop and work for this startup because the idea is very unique, but at the same time there are too many things which are not sitting right. No compensation, no legal binding, nothing. The team is working only because of his word and his worth in the tech world. I am scared of what to do now. We do have a friendly customer who has agreed for a POC, and if this goes right we ‘may’ have other partners too, but thats all in the future which has no guarantee. He doesnot want to introduce our startup to VCs now because he says they will come and micromanage us. He said he will bear the expenses for any infra and setup related costs. The other team mates all have their own fulltime jobs and working on this startup as parttime. But for me, he says he wants me fulltime else i may leave. I donot have any other offers at hand now, I am only starting to seach but its a tuff market situation now. He has promised on get me on the company payroll once the first POC is successful and get some money for the next POC which can be anytime between the next 3-12 months. He only asked me to wait patiently. I donot know what to do now? Should I just continue to work, without a payment and wait for him to include me in the payroll after the customer comes while I develop his entire system? Or quit it straight forward and begin seriously searching for a new job. Help. Suggestions on how these things work in startups generally.