[sganesh]

I have been there before. I walked away. I did a contract for about a year then took off for a few months traveling and is part of a new startup as a technical founder, that went live this Monday.

If the other startup is wildly successful financially, I stand to gain a bit financially, but I also believe, my contribution to the old startup will always be with me. I learnt a lot about people, process, growing a company, building a product, making connections, hiring, management etc. And I believe those are the things that will enhance my career.

Such an experience also brings an odd predicament in the form of infallibility and also may cloud your judgement about other non-technical people you're going to be involved in the future. My suggestion, is to keep an open mind, have well-defined expectation of business partners and their roles, learn & use delegation and trust & verify people.