First, a little background into myself, then I'll tell you my story.
I've been working a corporate job for 6 1/2 years and have been interested in trying to do a startup for a large majority of it. My biggest obstacle has been that all of my friends are either happy with their job or uncomfortable with the risk associated with a startup.
So, last Friday my cousin calls me out of the blue and says he's got a website idea. We get to talking, and he explains that he and a friend of his have this idea but don't have the technical know-how to do it. He explains the idea then asks if it sounds like something I'd be capable of. He originally presents the idea as if he'd contract the development out. I tell him it does sound like something I could do and that I might be interested in partnering with them. So, he arranges to further discuss the idea in person with his friend. We met today.
The idea has promise, but there were some things that set off flags for me. Would they set off flags for you? One, the friend didn't seem to place much stock in a technical co-founder. His offer was 10%, with the logic that he was taking more risks in going after the money and that somebody he talked to said they could built the site for $7000 and walk away. I replied back that not having a technical co-founder would probably be a bad idea for him,and that before meeting him, I was thinking we'd all be equal but wondered if 20% might be closer to acceptable for them. He replied that the two of them would need to talk about it. The other thing that was discussed before that was whether he had any intention of seeking VC or angel money to be able to pay me to work full time. They didn't plan on going that route, and were hoping I could work on it on the side while continuing my full-time job, though they were hoping that I might still be able to finish it within a few months if at all possible. There was more in the discussion about the idea itself, a little brainstorming, and at the end we ended with the two of them saying they'd talk to each other and get back with me.
So, at this point, if you were in my shoes, do you think you'd move forward with these two or walk away? Was I being selfish or selling myself short?
-- Can this idea be sold relatively quickly for $70,000? -- Will you be willing to wait for your pay-off? $7,000 is %10 of $70,000
Honestly though, sounds like you will be treated as a second rate citizen the entire time while also doing the majority work. If you're cool with that, that's your business. If you just want to start a start-up, but don't have any ideas, email me and I can help you come up with some ideas.
Lastly, family and business don't mix. If either party isn't completely satisfied with how the process turns out, you ( and your family ) will hear about it for the rest of your lives.