> what is the appropriate way to bring people on when you can’t pay them?
You don't.
Pay people for their work, or don't hire them. Anything else is at best ethically gray, but almost always bad.
You don't.
Pay people for their work, or don't hire them. Anything else is at best ethically gray, but almost always bad.
If you aren't generating profits, and want someone to work for you, either:
* borrow the money in your own name
* borrow against your house
* don't bring them on
You're the one creating the risk. You've gotta eat it.
Anything else is massively unethical.
If you're less than 3-5 people and have no money, you're looking for a technical co-founder, not an employee.
I've done say, 1 day a week of dev on the weekend while having a dayjob to get a project started for a share of equity because I liked the project. (So have others I know.)
Just have realistic asks in terms of time/equity trade so people can balance their risk by having other work as well.