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0 pointshigeorge133y ago0 comments

Are we even allowed to do side projects? What if our employer claims ownership or even conflicts of interest with what we are building? How will i even present it into hn or producthunt with my name and all my credentials while i am still working somewhere else? Any employer would fire us on the spot if they found out, wouldn’t they?

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4 comments · 4 top-level

Here [1] is a story that shows a possible scenario of what might happen if your boss fears your side/open source project and believes it directly competes with his company's main mission. Fortunately, the story ends in favor of the engineer.

1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27424195

Depends on the employer and where you live... you may have to get permission or specific exclusion when you start a job. As long as there isn't overlap with the business in question, I haven't experienced an issue working on the side.

Note: working on the side is not drawing multiple FTE salaries... but actual work outside business hours.

The answer is, it depends. Different states have different laws etc...

unless you have registered your invention with the employer during the hiring process, it belongs to them

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse