adtruth

Thanks. I'm starting to feel like, as you mention, I need to at least go through the legal motions to feel like I've done everything I can.

I live in a US state where the deadline to bring breach of contract claims is six years.

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?

Thank you for this thoughtful reply.

> 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"

Definitely. I have been doing this ever since.

Sorry, I should have been clearer.

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.