michaelrwolfe

Diego, I don't disagree with your post...there is no reason that someone hiking from SF to LA shouldn't do their homework, be realistic, be prepared, push back on their boss who wants them to do it faster, and do it better the second time.

But I'm not covering how the world should work. I'm covering how it does work. The reason this article resonates is precisely because we all see the same mistakes being made again and again.

I also agree that many software projects are more analogous to Columbus's trip to the new world...a tough trip even if you knew for sure there was a new world and where it was, almost impossible if you don't.

But realistically most people are working on web sites, enterprise apps, mobile apps, where there is enough prior experience that we should be able to make reasonable estimates. We aren't curing cancer here.

Yes the same mistakes get made again and again...

You can only dilute someone who owns shares.

I haven't seen any evidence here that he even owns any shares.

Untrue. The company usually owns the patents. It just depends on whether he assigned his IP to the company when they incorporated, which he should have.

It doesn't matter whose name is on the patents if the company owns the patents.

This is quite straightforward. You either own stock in the company or you don't.

You own stock in the company if you received shares when you founded it and/or if you received options, vested them, then exercised the shares upon leaving the company.

If you own shares, you produce the certificates, and the acquirer will buy them from you.

If you don't, you don't.

No attorney can help you if you claim to own shares in a company without actually owning any shares.

The discussion about what you "deserve" and "don't deserve" is irrelevant. You either own the shares or you do not own the shares.