[lacker]

It's not that programmer time is worth more than any idea. The issue is that an equity agreement requires a lot of trust that both of you will put a lot of work into this venture. Too often equity-for-programming deals are offered by an MBA type who doesn't have the ability or desire to add value to a business themselves, but still wants to be a founder. If you can't prove that you're not going to abandon the project in a month, you're going to have a hard time convincing people to put any value on your equity. Providing some cash is one way you can prove you are serious. Another is to actually do a big chunk of the work yourself.

I recommend that you find an idea that is simpler and less "meta", put some work into it, and then try to attract more developers.