Build for equity

I take a small number of early products to production-grade in exchange for equity. I pick founders, not pitches, and I bet on the ones who will raise.

What this is

I work as a hands-on technical co-builder for two or three founders at a time. I take an idea or MVP-stage product and make it real: architected, secure, observable, and ready for paying customers and a diligence team. The build is bounded and milestone-vested, so I am a co-investor in the outcome, not a vendor billing hours.

Who I am looking for

  • Founders who can raise, or are about to. My equity only works if your company does.
  • Idea to early-MVP stage, where the technical foundation still decides whether you make it.
  • People I would want to be in the trenches with. I pick founders, not products.

What you get

  • A CTO-grade technical co-founder for the build, without a full salary line you cannot afford yet.
  • Production-grade architecture from someone who has run FedRAMP High and DoD IL4 at 99.99% uptime.
  • A partner who has sat on both sides of the table: raised as a founder, and run technical diligence for an $80M raise.
  • An honest no. If I do not think you will raise, I will tell you, and I will not take the deal.

How it works

  1. You apply below.
  2. If it is a possible fit, we do a call.
  3. We agree on scope, milestones, and an equity structure that vests against them.
  4. We build.

This is distinct from fractional CTO advisory (a cash retainer) and Joscor consulting. Not sure which fits? Just reach out.

Apply

Prefer to talk first? Book a 30-minute call.

Build-for-Equity Application

Apply to the build-for-equity program

A few questions so I can see if we are a fit. It takes about five minutes, and I read every one personally.