My partner wants equal ownership but I'm doing most of the work

Have you actually tracked your hours vs theirs? That's the first place I'd start.

lol 50/50 with no capital and part-time? no. just no.

Be careful. Equal ownership doesn't al ways mean equal effort forever. Some people bring connections or future commitment. Did you discuss what they actually bring in the next 12 months?

$8k and a whole product? You're getting taken for a ride, tundra. Sorry.

This is why I never go into business with friends. Anyway, what does your operating agreement say? Or is there one? If not, you've got leverage but also a mess.

Honestly? Stop calling it "their" ownership. It's yours. You're the one that took the risk. Tell them you'll offer a vesting schedule based on hours or milestones. If they balk, that tells you everything

I was the partner in this exact scenario once. FWIW I had no idea how much more my friend was doing until he actually showed me the books and a time log. It was embarrwssing. Give them a chance to see the numbers.

SaltedCaramel_12 that's fair but also a grown adult should probably notice they're not doing much.

The friendship is likely already over the moment you have this conversation, just fyi. Not saying don't do it. Just prepare for weirdness.

Offer 15% and see if they scream. Then negotiate. It's not personal, it's math.

Funny how partners always want equal when it's time to sign but never show up when it's time to ship.

I'd also double-check that "few hours a week" thing. People are terrible at self-reporting.

Another angle: what's the actual value of the business right now? If it's worth $0, equal shares of $0 is a bad deal for them too. Maybe they're just scared of being left out. Sit down and define what equal means in terms of labor and capital going forward, though.