This is true. It is a problem that this is taking up so much unwarranted space in my mind. But that's why I finally wrote about it and am seeking advice.
To play devil's advocate, wouldn't it also be a red flag to have someone in your fund who simply rolls over and gives up when they have been clearly wronged?
> not thinking about stuff isn't always as straightforward as just pushing it out of your mind
That has been the problem. I will 'get over' it and not think about it for months, but eventually I am reminded of the situation and angry thoughts return.
Whether I eventually take legal action or not, these seem like useful techniques.
Thanks for your input. I did send an invoice four years ago, but he ignored it. Another complicating factor is that the project (and company) is long dead.
My next step, as many have suggested as well, is likely to consult a professional of specialized letter writers.
> [make] it a point from now until your dying day to always tell young freelancers "ALWAYS GET A CONTRACT"
Four years ago I worked with him on Project A. Project A never got funded and died after our dispute. The 2/3 email relates to Project A.
However, while Project A was in progress, he presented it as his own work to land himself a job as an investor, and then used that to land himself a seed round for a tangentially related but materially different Project B years later.
I make no claims for the funding he received from Project B -- it's just bothersome that he earned it off of my back (to a degree).
I accidentally commented using the wrong account -- that's the [deleted] reply above. Here's the content:
He used the project as an example of his work in order to get an investor job four years ago. Once he got the job, he abandoned the project altogether. None of my IP is at risk -- the project is dead, he never had repo access, and his new venture is unrelated in terms of the tech.
At the time, he had assembled a 'board' of well-known startup folks. I considered emailing them at the time as you described, but feared that the drama would have a negative impact on my very young freelance career and decided not to.
I have emails containing documenting specific requirements, which he agreed to, and emails / chat logs where he says he's happy with the project and ready to go live with it. Everything but the formal contract.
Is there any hope for the future of freedom, privacy or government accountability in America?
I'm not trying to make an overdramatic statement. I am genuinely curious what people believe. I am having a lot of trouble having any kind of faith in the future here.
I was extremely down about the future of the U.S. until the Obama candidacy. When I saw him promise to reduce the NSA warantless wiretapping programs, I believed there was hope. I donated time and money that I could not afford because I believed that this was the one chance we had to change.
It is clear now that was a complete lie, and Obama either endorses or is helpless to stop the NSA, CIA, the militarization of police and the utter vaporization of privacy and personal rights in the U.S. in the name of protecting us from terrorism.
As a result, I have given up on the ability of the U.S. political system to protect or even stand for personal rights. I can never believe the words of another 'change' candidate, and I believe it to be totally impossible for a candidate who actually supports the dismantling or reigining in of the NSA to be elected, since the NSA actively spies on potential candidates and would use their power to stop a candidate working against them from being elected.
The U.S. government's trajectory is towards more repression and more privacy erosion. Once these kinds of laws and programs are in place, it is nearly impossible to repeal. This is the nature of power. Many other governments have noticed how easily the U.S., supposedly the bastion of world freedom, is able to pass these laws and are following suit.
As each year passes, I grow more depressed, more paranoid and more angry with the government. I battle with the idea of starting a family and bringing a child into this world who will likely be subjucated to an even more repressive society. How could I tell that child to trust the police or the government when I cannot myself?
What are my options here? How do you repress your anger? Do I cut myself off from society? Try to gain citizenship to a Nordic country and pray their government isn't poisoned as the U.S. has become over the next 50 years? Comfort myself with the fact that at least the U.S. isn't North Korea? Kill myself?