[kriss9]

Agreed that the IP assignment is a big issue albeit you should never join a company to gain IP on a technology that will be used for a different industry (i.e. all startups focus on a platform/specific technology for one industry than move/multiply to others). In my personal opinion, it's all in how closely related the idea is (hence the recommendations for seeking an attorney). At the end of the day, I think you may be safe if you

A) have no specific ideas/ideals built into the software from your current company B) do not leverage company resources, assets or even insights to have improved the capability of your product (i.e. your knowledge is complementary, not created or originated close to the product the company has created) C) Prove that you deployed your product capability prior to having shifted and/or joined the company

1) In the end, if you really are big on this -- you should probably leave the company and be able to demonstrate to yourself and your investors that you deployed capability (or planned product) prior to joining the company.

2) I would be less concerned here assuming your time here is under 6 months, you can simply not choose to display it (i.e. the idea that you'll be YC ready in the next 6 months -- enough time for you to belittle/reduce/erase the time you were at the current company -- would mean that you're a lot further along. Thus by the time you're YC ready, none of this will have mattered.

P.S. I think you'll be good with YC. As a member of an existing top accelerator (Forbes B2B top rated) in Silicon Valley, most of them do not care if you have a similar idea (speak to the impact and traction instead of the idea), I believe your differentiation (not having taken from the company) and purity of code (not having been influenced or using company resources) will set you free.