Comment by ggm | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ggm | Hacker News Reader

Lawyer. Keep them on a short leash, they can fuck it up. At the very least consult one and pay for it up front not in arrears to some subsequent drama. Possibly even use a disposable good lawyer to avoid being over amped. If they know there's no subsequent business they may be more dispassionate.

It may be impossible to remain amicable once you lawyer up. Using "I saw a lawyer" or "I am seeing a lawyer" as a weapon won't help you.

Have you thought about a formal external mediator? Doesn't have to be a lawyer, could be interesting to facilitate the difference between you.

People want different things in life. Sometimes the differences are irreconcilable.

Do you have VC funding who you could discuss this with? Do you have a mentor? You probably need somebody in the business space who can advise you f2f not randoms online.

Not me. I tried to help a friend (at his request) in a situation around IPR and I fucked it up, he isn't a friend any more and nor is the other party. Don't want to be that guy ever again.

I think that's basically the nuclear option that I really want to avoid. I think it would cause irreparable damage to the group especially at this moment where it's very possible the company is about to significantly increase in value.

To be clear, I haven't had a talk with CUXO yet, so maybe I'll just explain my reasoning and he'll accept it. However, I don't feel like that's likely.

It's hard to explain but I feel like he's been planning this move for some time now. Little things, like inserting himself in some of my teams communications and insisting on us publishing final data to his db.

Unleashing your lawyer on him or the company would be the nuclear option, consulting one to know your options is fairly standard, if you don’t yet know how things could be (and I am assuming you don’t since you are asking on HN).

There are a lots of people who will always try to push a bit at the margin for their own benefits, and when it happens you can either yield, push back or stand firm. From your post it seems you want to stand firm, and exploring all the possibilities and rights you have will clear your mind on the next step. Short of you waiving all your rights, there are actually very few things that could happen in these kind of situation

I basically agree with this. Seek council, but do not weaponise it. Understand your (legal, moral, ethical) rights, and defend them.

Good luck.

Obviously based on my own prior experience in a mildly analogous space, I agree to its nuclear consequences/effects introducing third parties of any kind.

Some of what you say goes to a loss of trust and full disclosure to motivation and intent between you which is sad, but alas also very normal.

But I do suggest you at least seek advise from somebody you pay, to advocate to you, privately of what is normal and also necessary here.

I'm not sure what new advice a lawyer could give since we sort of already went through this last year when we bought out the Chief Dev Officers equity. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like I have a solid understanding of what our contract entitles us to. My main concerns are basically navigating this without dirupting the team dynamic as well as guarding against future attempts from CUXO to get power in the org.

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