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Re:Ask HN: founders wants me to join for just equity, how mu... by hga on Friday February 19, 2010 @09:54AM (#1137022)
In practice "get things in writing" doesn't help unless it's simply to memorialize the agreement. If your partners act in bad faith it just gives you (additional) grounds to sue ... and in this case they aren't exactly ensuring you have the money to sue. So unless the venture becomes so successful that you can get a lawyer on contingency....
Re:Ask HN: founders wants me to join for just equity, how mu... by gizmo on Friday February 19, 2010 @11:39AM (#1137298)
> memorialize the agreement

Absolutely, that's the primary reason. It also clears up unnecessary misunderstandings. (E.g. one party may assume preferred stock, while the other founders will assume common stock.)

Re:Ask HN: founders wants me to join for just equity, how mu... by hga on Friday February 19, 2010 @12:01PM (#1137350)
Very true ... it hadn't occurred to me since due to my family's business dealings I'd absorbed that by the time I was making agreements.

Putting it down on paper forces a minimal level of clarity and detail, and gives all the parties concerned several chances to get it right, enumerate and specify details such as the above, etc.