I just quit a company that was never (formally) made

3 pointsstasy11y ago12 comments

I'm a 16 year old app developer. In April of this year, I made a deal with my father for 50% of my company if he bought me a MacBook to make apps on, as well as start an LLC for the apps. I agreed to that deal because there was nothing to lose. I just wanted to make apps.

*Skip to now

For the past months, I've been learning, developing, and publishing apps. I've put as much work into it as I could sometimes working for more than 12 hours at a time. BUT I was blinded by the work and the rewards I might make in the end from realizing that my father hasn't done anything for the company since April. I've been telling him every week to start an LLC. I wanted to make things as fast as I could, but I now see that he just wasn't into it as I was. I was willing to do anything for the company which wasn't even made, but he'd been waiting for months to actually do something for the company.

So, I quit. I didn't feel like working with (although something it felt like I was working for him) that doesn't have enthusiasm to jump into making the company. I don't know if he was afraid of the risk or something else.

I also just gave him his investment back (the MacBook). I'm also going to have to pay him taxes from money I made earlier this year (January) by selling some of my stuff.

I want to continue making apps (I actually just want to work on one app that I want to spend 100% of my time on), and start on a new venture/company. I'll be spending the next couple of months finding a job to get enough money to buy a Macbook.

And that's how I quot a company that was never (formally) made.

I just quit a company that was never (formally) made

3 pointsstasy11y ago12 comments

*Skip to now

I also just gave him his investment back (the MacBook). I'm also going to have to pay him taxes from money I made earlier this year (January) by selling some of my stuff.

And that's how I quot a company that was never (formally) made.

12 comments

9 comments · 3 top-level

justintocci11y ago· 4 in thread

I would have given a lot for the opportunity you've been given. To have no bills, no worries, no responsibilities AND have the time to learn! I beg you to reconsider. If you haven't made any money yet then there is no reason to start a company. A company is a response to an income problem. You don't have that problem yet so let it go.

Make some apps, as many as you can. keep them small. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Get feedback on everything you do. Get feedback on what you plan to do. The skill you are trying to learn is to really understand what people want and then turn that into an app that speaks to their needs.

Please please please reconsider! I wish you all the best.

stasyOP11y ago

The thing is, it wasn't going anywhere. I couldn't make any apps that costs money (since I needed to make the company first to get an EIN).

justintocci11y ago

I don't know what an eid is but if you had a free app with enough users that you knew you needed to start charging NOW then you wouldn't have to convince your dad to pay for an llc... you'd find the money yourself. You can get one online for cheap.

I'm a dad. I can tell you i wouldn't need to know anything about what you are doing to know if there aren't hundreds of customers interested and a real high quality product done and dusted and on the table then its too early to get bogged down by paperwork. you are in the r&d phase right now and that is a good thing. you are light and nimble, move fast! When you have a winner, you'll know.

eschutte211y ago

What do you need an EIN for? Is this an app store thing? In most cases your SSN serves as an EIN. If you really need an EIN, you don't need an LLC for that. http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/when-does-sole-propri...

1 more reply

slosh11y ago

young homie, let me break it down for you.

do you understand how much money mother fuckers are throwing at developers?

if you learn to make a specific type of app and then try to sell it you may or may not get any business from the app store but you will have obtained the skills necessary to repeat the work for someone who has ca$h - forever in the future you will be able to provide this service. learn and build as much as humanly possible mane.

philiphodgen11y ago· 2 in thread

I'm a father. I have three teen-age children: 17, 15, 13. I'm a business owner.

I'm also a lawyer and I know what it takes to create and maintain an LLC. It's a big fucking pain in the ass, and it is totally irrelevant to the success or failure of a business.

Maybe you can't see the view from your father's side of the equation. Nor can I -- I do not know you and we have never met. But I can guess what is going through his head.

What I do know is that I deeply want my children to succeed in life. I'll bet your father does, too.

I'll also bet that he doesn't give two fucks about owning 50% of a company with you. I'll bet in his eyes the company is 100% yours, and he wants nothing but the best for you.

He didn't invest in a company to buy you a MacBook. He gave you a MacBook because he's your dad and he loves you and he wants you to massively succeed in ways he never did.

He's watching you work hard, and I'll bet he is thrilled at every achievement, big and small. He's probably thrilled just to see you get down and grind hard. Do you know how rare that is in a 16-year old? That is gold to a dad.

He was probably crushed when you gave him the MacBook back. Because that meant you were quitting. I hate it when I see my kids quit. He doesn't care about getting his investment back. His investment is you. He loves you.

You had a company that you 100% owned. You quit. Your reason for quitting is because your father did not give you something you do not need. That's stupid on stilts.

Don't do that. If you quit now you will keep quitting when you are 18. And 22. And 30. And 45. And 60.

You published apps. That means you have a business. A business is one or more people producing something that other people (customers) think is valuable. They vote for your efforts by giving you money to show that they value what you produced.

You have a business. Don't throw that away.

You have a father who loves you. Don't throw that away, either.

stasyOP11y ago

That's just confusing because I didn't give up the MacBook willingly. I told him I didn't want to work on it anymore with him because he didn't seem to into it as much I had hoped. I even gave him the offer that I'll stay if it was split 70/30, but he said no. He's even taking it another step by only allowing me to access the Internet for school now.

philiphodgen11y ago

Heh. Wait until you're a parent before you think you understand the situation.

Internet privileges are removed by parents because they see their kids flaking off and not getting stuff done. Not because they are mean.

It is a giant thankless pain in the ass to have teenagers. And it is the best thing in the world. I had dinner tonight with my three and almost shed a tear in the restaurant from happiness. And I have a flakey kid -- much like you I suspect. :-)

Good luck, buddy. It is a long and wonderful life. Treasure these lessons, as puzzled as you are right now. You are only puzzled because you misinterpret reality. That will change.

ScottBurson11y ago

Hmm, difficult situation. Your father didn't keep his end of the bargain. I agree that you can't just let that go; a deal is a deal.

Sounds like firing him and moving on is the right thing to do.

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