
Advice about a questionable startup - antipedant
I was asked to help a group that is developing software&#x2F;hardware for the blind community. I vetted their legal paperwork, rewrote it, got them their first investor funding, and introduced+organized with nonprofits, universities, medical centers, and industry contacts (none of which they had). I set my own projects aside in exchange for an agreed amount for 1-2 months.<p>I only managed to have them meet with the blind community on 1 occasion and they avoided others. They also avoided many of the other contacts and ignored them.<p>Shortly after they cashed their first check, they split, didn&#x27;t compensate me for the time I&#x27;d set my own project aside, I had to smooth things over with the owner&#x2F;investor they had been staying with, and they appear to have ignored many of the groups that I&#x27;d had them talk to, testing, and further talks I&#x27;d put in place.<p>As it turns out, they are back at it again.<p>How should I deal with this group? I&#x27;m somewhat tormented by the fact that I recommended them to a number of parties in the disabled community that have been taken advantage of in the past. And, I worry that this company will continue doing pretty much the same thing.
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bartvk
It's obvious you're disappointed with how things are proceeding. In these
situations, I think it's customary that you sit down and look at what was
agreed on, on paper and in email.

So which agreements were violated? And what is described as the consequences
for that?

For example, you say you set your own projects aside in exchange for an agreed
amount. So I assume you sent the bill for that? Did they pay it?

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antipedant
They did not pay the full amount of what I charged them. I sent an invoice,
naturally.

I am somewhat uncertain as to how to prevent them from further taking
advantage of the community that they were claiming to help as well. I know
there will be potential legal ramifications there depending on how I approach
it.

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PaulHoule
For me anything associated with nonprofits is a "bad smell"

