Maya’s individual position statement, prepared privately with Mediator.ai before the engine generated candidate agreements. See the full example for context.
Background
Two years ago, Daniel and I opened a small bakery together as 50/50 partners. We both put in starting capital (roughly equal — mine was $18k from savings, his was $15k plus a $3k loan from his parents). We signed a simple partnership agreement that split ownership 50/50 and said we’d each work full-time on the business.
What changed
About six months in, Daniel said his savings were running out and he couldn’t keep going without income. He took a part-time delivery driver job — initially 20 hours a week, but it grew to 30+. He still came in most mornings to bake (usually 5am–9am), but he stopped working the counter, managing inventory, doing the books, handling suppliers, or any of the customer-facing or administrative work.
For the past 18 months I have been running the business effectively alone. I work 60–70 hour weeks. I hired and trained our two part-time counter staff, negotiated our lease renewal, built our Instagram following from 400 to 11,000 followers, and developed most of the seasonal menu items that now drive weekend sales.
Current situation
We’re approached by a local investor who wants to buy a 20% stake for $80k. He has told both of us he will not close until the ownership split between Daniel and me is “clarified in writing.” He hinted he thinks the current 50/50 split doesn’t match reality.
What I want
I think the equity should reflect what each of us actually contributed over the full two years — not just the handshake we made on day one. By my honest estimate, I’ve put in maybe 4x the hours Daniel has since he went part-time. I think a fair split now would be 70/30 in my favor, possibly with a small vesting arrangement so Daniel earns some of that back if he returns to full-time work within a year.
What I’m afraid of
- That Daniel will feel like I’m pushing him out, when I’m not — I want him to stay.
- That if I don’t raise this now, the investor walks away and we lose the deal.
- That in five years, when the bakery is worth much more, I’ll deeply resent the 50/50 split.
What I’d accept
I’m not trying to take everything. I’d like something that acknowledges the asymmetry of the last 18 months but keeps Daniel as a real partner, not an employee. I’m open to creative solutions — catch-up equity for him, a salary for me to balance past work, anything that feels honest.