Founder agreements
Friends now.Co-owners for years.
Get the founder relationship right before the stakes get higher.
Talk about your startup
01 / THE PROBLEM
Founder relationships get complicated when expectations aren’t written down.
A useful founder discussion covers contribution, commitment, authority, and what happens if plans change. Written arrangements should connect to the actual equity documents and company governance, rather than sit separately from them.
+02 / COMMON FRICTION
Small gaps.Bigger questions.
01Ownership unclear
02No vesting
03Undefined roles
04IP outside the company
05No departure plan
06Deadlocked decisions
03 / HOW ETHAN CAN HELP
Understand the business.
Then the documents.
Start with your objective and the documents already in place. Identify the decisions that need attention, discuss practical options, and coordinate the work needed to move forward.
A useful founder discussion covers contribution, commitment, authority, and what happens if plans change. Written arrangements should connect to the actual equity documents and company governance, rather than sit separately from them.
+04 / WHAT THE SERVICE MAY INCLUDE
The workbehind the next step.
- Ownership percentages and founder roles
- Decision making and responsibilities
- Vesting and repurchase rights
- IP assignment and confidentiality
- Departures and deadlocks
The scope is agreed for each engagement. Some questions may require coordination with tax, employment, or other specialist advisers.
07 / WHEN YOU MAY NEED THIS
Adding a cofounder?↗Changing who does what?↗+FOUNDER FAQ
Good questions.Clearer next steps.
General information only.
Not legal or tax advice.
01When should founders sign founder agreements?
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Discuss roles, contributions, ownership, departures, and decision making early—ideally before significant work, equity issuances, or outside capital complicate the relationship.
02What is founder vesting?
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Vesting ties ownership rights to time or other conditions. Depending on the documents, the company may have a right to repurchase unvested shares if a founder leaves.
03Who owns code written before incorporation?
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Ownership depends on authorship, employment, prior agreements, and other facts. Incorporation alone does not transfer earlier code; identify the rights and document an appropriate assignment or license.
+PEOPLE, OWNERSHIP, POSSIBILITY
Build together.Think ahead.
Clear expectations give founders and growing teams a common starting point.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH A CONVERSATION.
Let’s talk about
what you’re building.
Tell Ethan where the company is today
and what needs to happen next.