[x0x0]

Who has the bigger call on you: your wife and daughter, or your ceo? Who is more important? Answer that question, then man up and do what you obviously need to do.

ps -- I'd talk to a lawyer (it's free for a consult! Write down the details so you don't miss anything and can be dispassionate, then ask one or two to review your situation and options!) about filing a wage claim for that $60k, or some other type of compensation.

One last thing. You know what you call people whose leaving would crater a company? Owners. If you're that crucial and only have < 5%, you're a sucker. Sorry man. This is a lesson; don't let it happen again.

[throwawayAug16]

Thank you for the advise.

My daughter and my wife are certainly doing well but not as well as they can be. It's not like I can't provide for them at $110 per year.

I think I will be talking to a lawyer if I do decide to leave.

And if you think 5% is bad... I negotiated up from 0.5%. I'm not sure I agree that 5% is bad. It is above average for a CTO from what I understand and I'm sure many of those CTOs are just as critical to their companies as I am to mine.

As far as the wage claim... I don't think I can. Technically it is on the books as a deferred bonus. The company paid me minimum wage for that time and I stupidly agreed to it. I'll talk to the lawyer, though.

[x0x0]

I disagree. It's simple: if you're crucial to a small company, you're an owner and you get comp like an owner. If you have less than 5%, two options: (1) you're not actually as crucial as you think you are, or (2) you're being ripped off. (Could be some of both!) Buttering up employees and telling them they're crucial is, btw, free. Just like titles. Don't let your boss pay you with free things.

[throwawayAug16]

Do you have any numbers or articles I can refer to to back up #2?

There are actually a lot of investors in the company and it raised a fair amount of money before I came on board.

I won't rule out #1. However, I'm basing that assumption on a lot of inside knowledge of how the company works. It's an evidence based assumption not an emotional one. And it's based a lot on how long I have been here and what has come to depend on me. I absolutely 100% do not think I can move to another company and be as irreplaceable, it is a niche I moved into by being the only one who could pick up the pieces when each of the other people left.

[x0x0]

You're not gonna change your comp with a benchmark. You're gonna change your comp with a simple 3 step plan:

1 - get a new job

2 - quit

3 - see how indispensable your ex-ceo sees you as now