The original verbal agreement was for a 50/50 partnership. But the attempt to cheat me into a contractor's position instead of a partner left a bad taste in my mouth. I was pessimistic about a good future working relationship and had a hunch that his wife was behind the scenes and still unhappy with me around.
I didn't want to fight with his new life partner. Besides, I really wanted to get back to my music and didn't want to remain tied 24/7 more than another year. So I came up with a plan to taper down my involvement. I proposed that;
This would increase by 10% each year until my share reached a maximum of 33.3%. (June 17, 2006).
I figured this was a generous compromise and gesture of goodwill. After all, the actual start date of our verbal agreement was September 2003. I created the site in 2002. So in effect, I had given them a free two years of my time and work.
If we found someone tomorrow, I'd have about a 22% lifetime share. But if I had to work full-time another year and on-call 24/7 my share would increase to the original 33.3%. That seemed fair to me.
(Later in the story, I would discover that even this compromise wasn't enough for the pair...)
This promise of an ongoing long-term share was the only reason I put my music on hold. Each year spent on GS meant another year sacrificed from my real career. I hoped we would soon be able to hire someone to do the day-to-day work of running the servers and just be around to oversee things so that I could eventually get back to touring.
(Note: The signed version of the agreement which was attached to the 11 May 2005 email would eventually go missing. Jules had a key to my flat. I often left him alone in it while I went out. He was the only person who knew where it was kept. I only discovered it was gone after he seized the business.)
My full 1/3 lifetime share was reached on June 17, 2006. So the deadline passed for my return to the road. It was February 2007 and my music career was still on hold and had been for five years. There seemed no end in sight. Through frugal management, I was able to keep Standen's spending under control. Costs were kept to the bare minimum. Whenever we needed anything, I learned to do it DIY style to save cash.
My workload increased whilst Standen's decreased. As a previously unpaid voluntary moderator at Recording.org, this was something he enjoyed. His time was spent jetting about worldwide at trade fairs as he hobnobbed with industry leaders. He traveled in style. I was at home tied to the servers.
His earnings were double mine.
With time on his hands, he spent it filling up my time and finding even more work for me to do. He wanted more and more bloat on the site. Every time he came up with a new bright idea, it was me that actually implemented it. The 1% inspiration vs. 99% perspiration approach soon multiplied and got out of hand. He created long wish lists of things he wanted. But I argued for a cleaner, less cluttered look.
Once their baby arrived Jules spent less time with the business. Instead of the old friendship between two pals who shared a passion for music production, it seemed to me that Jules became the other half of a team that took advantage of me. There's an assumption made that a woman's work is worth less than a man's work. As typical of someone who grew up indulged, Jules naturally assumed he was entitled to a larger piece of the pie. Often it's us women who enable this behavior.
I felt like a mug.
My frown grew deeper and deeper. Standen's cheeriness and jokes became a source of irritation which welled up inside me. Something had to change.
So finally, I pushed for a temporary re-installment of the original 50/50 split of the verbal agreement until we found someone to take over the running of the servers. If I was to be chained to the servers and unable to pursue my music, I might as well get the same share as he.
Standen who had by now grown quite accustomed to earning double what I did, proposed my share remain at 1/3 and instead work harder to find someone to run the servers. He assured me that I would continue to receive my share but with a lot less to do. Smooth as always, he convinced me everything would be ok.
Little did I know, Standen had already secretly found someone behind my back...