53
m2m2
7y

I was offered to work for a startup in August last year. It required building an online platform with video calling capabilities.
I told them it would be on learn and implement basis as I didn't know a lot of the web tech. Learnt all of it and kept implementing side by side.
I was promised a share in the company at formation, but wasn't given the same at the time of formation because of some issues in documents.
Yes, I did delay at times on the delivery date of features on the product. It was my first web app, with no prior experience. I did the entire stack myself from handling servers, domains to the entire front end. All of it was done alone by me.
Later, I also did install a proxy server to expand the platform to a forum on a new server.
And yesterday after a month of no communication from their side, I was told they are scraping the old site for a new one. As I had all the credentials of the servers except the domain registration control, they transferred the domain to a new registrar and pointed it to a new server. I have a last meeting with them. I have decided to never work with them and I know they aren't going to provide me my share as promised.
I'm still in the 3rd year of my college here in India. I flunked two subjects last semester, for the first time in my life. And for 8 months of work, this is the end result of it by being scammed. I love fitness, but my love for this is more and so I did leave all fitness activities for the time. All that work day and night got me nothing of what I expected.
Though, they don't have any of my code or credentials to the server or their user base, they got the new website up very fast.
I had no contract with them. Just did work on the basis of trust. A lesson learnt for sure.
Although, I did learn to create websites completely all alone and I can do that for anyone. I'm happy that I have those skills now.
Since, they are still in the start up phase and they don't have a lot of clients, I'm planning to partner with a trusted person and release my code with a different design and branding. The same idea basically. How does that sound to you guys?

I learned that:
. No matter what happens, never ignore your health for anybody or any reason.
. Never trust in business without a solid security.
. Web is fun.
. Self-learning is the best form of learning.
. Take business as business, don't let anyone cheat you.

Comments
  • 1
    @alwaysmpe Thank you!
  • 3
    @m2m2 dude! Excellent rant-share. I'd bare in mind certain things in life are harder without trust.
  • 0
    @kunashe Thanks buddy!
  • 2
    You have learnt your lessons quite early...
    Keep them with you always and move on...
    Best of luck buddy....
  • 2
    Bro, this is cool. I share the same mindset and attitude. I agree to most of what you said especially the pointers at the end!
  • 1
    @sevensins Thank you!
    I have moved on. I'm grateful that it happened sooner.
    It is just surprising to know that they once appreciated my work. :)
  • 0
    @loserboi Thanks, brother!
  • 1
    i feel like you knew the job was shit but you wanted to gain work expeience. i once took a job creating an ecommerce platform from a shaky client who was a friend of a friend. i had turn down many offers to create a ecommerce platform and directed them to shopify. But since this client didnt seem to know what he was doing and i never made one before I took the leap head first.

    We never used what i built for him but i reused the code with other clients that made me money.

    Cheers
  • 4
    One of my personal rules is that shares are a nice extra, but I can't pay mortgage or groceries in shares.

    There are plenty of startups with nice ideas, but as a developer I know more about machine behavior than human behavior — so I rather have a contract with an agreed upon salary and benefits, because startup shares are about the riskiest asset in existence.
  • 1
    Going in without a contract? No no no!
  • 1
    No contract....no dice.
  • 1
    @artnos The job was quite exciting. Yes, I also wanted a hell lot of experience from it. Did get it too.
    I don't think there was a better feeling for me at that point than my code was going to be used by people and also solves a problem.
    That feeling is same today too.
  • 1
    The code is yours, you can go further and compete with that startup or sell the code for another company
  • 2
    I think not signing a contract means you wasn't sure about your skills yet, now you have the skills so next time you'll be on the safe side. You definitely learned a lesson and an awesome skill set, don't let those guys ruin your achievment 😉
  • 1
    @strang3quark Definitely planning to compete. It is my turn now. :)
  • 1
    @matanl Yeah, I was. But more than that, I trusted them because they were my seniors from high school. Now I know who to trust. :)
  • 2
    Man, if it helps you to process this, I think everybody at the start has had some project where they has no power and almost no skills and worked on something and got "scammed" in various ways, we almost always start like this and its almost a right of passage to have this done to you, it also wont be the last time it happens, so dont take it to heart and keep going, eventually it gets better, but first you have to "Peel the potatoes" (meaning, we all start at the bottom, doing the shitty jobs whilst looking at others enjoying themselves, enviously) so to speak
  • 1
    Yeah man, this sucks. I'm also an engineering student in India, first year but I do know basic full stack development. I need to get better at Node though. I'd love to collaborate on something if not the same thing that you have built. Contact me however you want. Email: puthranyash1@gmail.com and discord tag #8148
  • 0
    @nottoobright
    Will contact soon. Have my sem ends starting tomorrow. :(
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