
Ask HN: Developer friend wants to help on for-profit side project - sirens
Hi HN,<p>What should I keep in mind when having friends help on a side project that could become commercially viable?<p>I have a project that I&#x27;m planning to turn into a SaaS product. One of my buddies (someone I&#x27;ve known for 5 years or more) is looking for &quot;a fun project to work on&quot;, and we&#x27;re going to meet up this evening to see if my project is interesting to him.<p>I&#x27;m concerned about how to both retain copyright&#x2F;ownership of the product, and also compensate them if the project starts bringing in revenue. I have more experience than him, so I&#x27;d like to help mentor him, but I&#x27;m also excited to get a second pair of eyes and hands on the project.<p>This guy is solid, and we have a solid mutual friend. Should I have him sign a legal doc saying that I retain copyright over the codebase?  Is something straightforwardly laid out in an email good enough? Is it a good idea to promise him compensation (like 120% of his hourly) if the project pulls in revenue?
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x0hm
If you don't trust a handshake and a "we'll discuss money when we start making
it", I'd definitely get something in writing.

But don't just write something and call it good. If you're serious about it,
contact a lawyer to make sure you're protecting your IP.

