

Ask HN: How to sell my side project to my current company? - d--b

Hi HN,<p>I have been working on a side project for a while, and now I think I have a prototype that is not quite ready for beta, but almost.
At the same time, a partner at my current job told me that they have a project they want to do, and they don&#x27;t really know how to make it happen.
What they don&#x27;t know is that the side project I have been developing would be perfect for the task.<p>So I really want to take advantage of the situation by approaching the partner and telling him that I have been working on a tool on my own, and that it would make sense for them to use it for their project.<p>What I would like to do is:<p>1. Create a company (not yet created because I work in finance, and if I create a company I have to tell my boss for legal reasons...)
2. Make sure the company owns the IP of the tool I developed
3. Still work at my current job, part-time if possible, to keep the money coming and to integrate my tool into their infrastructure, and to have some time to work on the company (raising money, communicate, finding other clients)
4. In 6 months or so, leave my current job, and work full time on the company.<p>So, I am asking myself the following questions:<p>a. Is that a sound plan?
b. How do I present my plan to them?
c. This must happen all the time, are there any kind of templatized legal agreements for my point 2 and 3 above?
d. Are there any pitfalls? What are the ways I can get screwed?<p>Any help, past experiences to share, or good advice would be much appreciated! It is a rather exciting &#x2F; stressful time!
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onion2k
_Are there any pitfalls?_

The biggest one would be the fact that (depending on the exact wording of your
employment contract) your employer may own the IP of any work you do relating
to the industry you work in - _including what you do at home_. By bringing
this project to your employers attention you might just end up handing it over
to them.

Also, if they're sensible, your employer's due diligence would include asking
you for proof that you didn't do any work on this project during your
contracted working hours, and that you didn't use any of your employer's IP in
it. That will be expensive for you to produce. If you can't proove you didn't
work on it during work hours then technically that's fraud, but in reality
it'd just mean you'll be handing the project over.

Consult a good lawyer before bringing it to your employer's attention.

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mymotta
1-6 above is not a sound plan. If your idea is "big", leave your current job
and start a company now. If the idea is smaller and more targeted AND you
think this will bring real value to your current company, forget "your"
intellectual property. Sell the idea internally. Create a buzz about your
contribution. This serves to make you a more valuable employee, for which, no
doubt, you will receive both tangible and intangible benefits. If you can't
sell it inside, then at least you can learn about how to sell.

