How to tackle folks here who want you to "work for free" now and "get compensated later"?

I get the outrage - and it IS fair that consultants get paid. Often you are dealing with a founder who has no resources, so they have to beg, borrow and promise. They aren't trying to screw you, but often the entrepreneur is trying to make the impossible, possible - and finding delayed compensation is a tool to help you achieve the impossible.

Working for free perhaps isn't the issue; rather thinking about the value of your time and translating that into some "perceived value" and comparing that against the "perceived value" and the risk associated with what's on offer in the future. Setting out a clear expectation and writing it down early will also be important, this proves alignment of understanding and will make for a smoother ride ahead. I have found a useful tool that provides a framework for this here http://slicingpie.com/grunt-fund-cheat-sheet/. All the best A

This conversation highlights the cultural gap between non technical and technical founders. As a non technical founder, I would say this: you should at least get equity if you are putting in the work upfront, and protect yourself with a contract that says as much.  It's been posited that non technical founders should just raise the money. Here is the rub:  angel investors and prestigious incubators will not give you investment if you have a paid technical co founder. It's considered an illegitimate business model in those circles. Unless your technical partner is working largely for sweat equity, they will not consider it a viable partnership and you will not get funding that way. So the non tech founders are often simply followed the demands of the perceived financiers, but those don't correspond with the demands of technical professionals. Banks do not give loans to tech businesses, typically because you have no physical collateral. That leaves you with family and friends funding.   Jeff Bezos started Amazon with the life savings that his parents gave him. Airbnb founders sold commerative cereal boxes at the Democratic National Convention. But if you are expecting to be paid, then you also should expect a lesser amount of equity, which is often not the expectation. And sets up resentment from the get go, if you an equal business partner, then the sacrifice should ideally be equal.  But Aleksandra is correct that equity means you are some sort of business partner and that kind of relationship requires oodles of trust, which start up simply don't have time to develop. So then you have to hammer out a partnership contract which creates crystal clear expectations, and takes into account the risks of a start up. Are you willing to work for free in the gap between organic growth and/or series A?  Many people want to be an equity partner in a start up but don't want to make the sacrifices it requires.  I will give an unpopular opinion, but I have read Slicing the Pie, and perhaps I did not understand it,  but it doesn't seem to jibe with the realities of running a business. Business owners do not get paid by the hour. They get paid by the outcome. So, if as a non technical founder, my sales strategy takes more time than anticipated to show results, I work the extra hours until I figure out how to make it work.  My job is to create an outcome. I'm not an hourly employee.I own the thing.  When I started this hunt for a technical partner, other non technical founders told me it would the hardest thing I would ever have to do. Since I had raised and managed millions of dollars in other fields, I thought they were exaggerating. But they were right, this has been, without a doubt, the most challenging thing I have encountered in my professional career.  I'm not sure why, as Stephen said, the market is so inefficient in this regard, but I find these cultural communication gaps seem insurmountable at times. I think it's starts with realism about what resources do and do not exist and empathy and goodwill towards people involved in the process. 

This community is about finding founders.

As a technical founder I would not expect to get paid until funding occurs.

If they want you to build an MVP and get paid later you need to get stock but that is where the issues are.

I work for stock all the time, I have done very well. I am confident enough in my skills and have been around long enough where I feel that I can weed out the noise.

If you work with someone on this basis you must feel comfortable with them but most important you must be a partner, this does not mean 1% of the company, it means 50 / 50 or what ever the proper split would be based on other founders.

The technical side is NOT the most important, there are lots of apps on the market that no one has heard of.

Marketing is critical, having a team that can get funding is critical, anyone can make a product, some can make good ones but it takes a "TEAM" to make an exceptional product, market the product, get the first 100,000 users and then be able to get investment or paying customers to keep the lights on.

If your expecting a startup that is found on this forum to pay you for work then I don't think this is the correct place. This is where co-founders meet not where you find paid consultants.

Good luck.

If a prospective technical founder insists they should get more than 50% because there would be no product without that tech contribution, I would advise them to run a thought experiment before making a decision either way. The thought experiment is this: If this tech co-founder is hit by a bus tomorrow, would I throw in the towel because the ONLY tech person I could hire who is capable of making my product is now dead? Or would I redouble my efforts and find another equally talented tech person. If the former is true your venture is not just risky, it is exceedingly risky. You should factor in key person insurance into your planning. Very few ventures have people who are truly irreplaceable, indeed I've never personally seen one in 25+ years of startups. If you could find an alternative tech co-founder, their argument that there would be no product without them is specious. It might be true that there won't be a product without some technical founder, but it doesn't have to be them! So, now you come back to what is their market value vs. someone else's. For a starting point, look at what their market salary rate and bonus would be.

This happens way too often than one would think. Even from former CEOs of multi million $ companies and  seemingly well connected folks who are on boards of several companies.

This is an interesting topic. I have an idea, I need a tech guy to help me, but I'd never dream of not making it worthwhile. If I had the cash, I'd just pay a contractor to build it. They get paid their rate, I get my product. If I don't have the cash, then I'd be prepared to give significant equity and explain what I am bringing to to the table other than the idea (marketing, sales and operational experience). I tend to agree that you shouldn't work for free on a promise. At least a significant chunk of equity in a signed contract has a potential to be worth something. A future promise of some payment of some kind isn't real at all. 

Never say never.  Thankfully different folks have different risk profiles.  This site is called "Founder Dating"  - it's all about early stage startups and "finding co-founders".  It seems a bit hypocritical to spend time here on FD and take a stance of "don't talk to me unless you can pay me money".   That's not what the early stage ecosystem is about.  I am heads down on my own startup, but i carve out time to help others because it's good for the startup ecosystem.   I like working with smart, passionate people who are building interesting businesses. I don't to if for the money.   You can't let it get in the way of paying the bills, but if everyone involved with early-stage startups required that they be "paid" in cash/marketable securities we wouldn't have startups.  If you are a service provider and you expect to make a living in the startup world you'd better stick with funded startups and don't get too far out over your skis.  Build relationships in the angel, VC community and startup legal community and source business that way.  I'm sure there are some advisors here on FD who are here to build early-stage relationships and provide some services to help get promising startups 'fundable' so they have first shot when the money starts flowing.  Of course you can't just jump in on a hand shake - set realistic expectations and put it in writing.  If you agree to be compensated in equity then you had better understand how to evaluate early stage companies and founders and how to assess risk - because there's plenty of it.  That might behove you to build relationships with others that have complimentary skills to yours so you can better vet opportunities.