Quote from: bytemaster on January 03, 2015, 03:53:40 pm

Quote from: Stan on January 03, 2015, 02:17:17 pm

Thanks for all your kind words. 

My role on BitShares over the past 18 months has actually been quite modest. 

I work mostly behind the scenes.  My job involves dealing with business operations and other gatekeeper duties typically associated with a chief of staff role. I pay most of the crypto bills. I handle financial, legal and accounting interfaces, written communication functions, partnership negotiations and support, and helping people see the bright side whenever I can. 

Generally I try to take everything I can off Bytemaster’s hands
so he can focus on things that only he can do. 

Someday Bytemaster will find someone else he trusts to do those duties and I will be able to retire.  But it is hard to find someone you can trust to have your back in all situations, especially on the financial and legal fronts.  Until then, if I don’t do these functions he will have to find time to do them himself. 

If I’m the only one he trusts to walk his dog,
then by walking his dog I generate more Bytemaster time for the ecosystem. 

Thus, the value of my contribution is pretty much just the value of Bytemaster’s time saved for things that only he can do. 

**Full disclosure, BM does not own a dog.  I'm using another metaphor. 

Stan (and my mother, Pam) have been so critical for my own sanity that BitShares wouldn't be where it is today without them.   Most of their effort is behind the scenes, but if I had to sum it up in a single sentence:
   
  Their job is to keep me out of jail.   

How do they do this?   Careful accounting and hours and hours with lawyers and tax advisors.   

There is NO ONE ELSE at greater legal risk than Stan and Pam because they handle all of our books and Stan is actually an ACTIVE board member / officer of I3.   All of the developers are mere employees or contractors and are shielded from the huge legal risks associated with this industry.   Someone has to bear the risk and right now it falls on Stan & I.

Stan & Pam have been essential in providing necessary liquidity when there were delays converting BTC to USD or unexpected USD bills.  They lent I3 money on several occasions to get through small cash flow issues.   

Stan has done more to free up my time than any other developer.
Stan has also been paid the LEAST salary of every developer.
Stan has also accepted BTS as payment without intent to sell.
Stan has also purchased a large stakes in BTS on top of it all.

In short money cannot buy what Stan & Pam have provided to me and thus BitShares.    At the end of the day Stan was the LEAST compensated of everyone. 

The bonus paid to Stan was really a combined bonus for Pam & Stan.

That makes sense Much love

Thanks to the OP for giving us the chance to get clear about this. Nothing worse than suppressed concerns / feelings of injustice.

I support core developers making six figures, and I support a single person running several 100% delegates whenever it is required. (or runs their own delegate and gets others to run support delegates)

But strategically I think right now a bad time to begin negotiating salary. It's a debate that is most definitely required in the near future, but can it wait until we have a working full node, a working lightweight client, and a working mobile wallet?