Summary of My Experience with a shady client: A Bait-and-Switch Encounter
Full Transcript (Here)
I made this Presentation to test the capabilities of my proprietary AI tools. (Presentation)
To my amazement, it was an incredible success and surpassed even my wildest expectations. The client was so moved he offered me a full time job.
Kevin and I had successfully worked together in the past and he hired me for a website revamp and 3 additional sites.
While my intention behind the presentation was to create a business partnership with Kevin, he insisted on hiring me as he just had bought this 33 year old sports bettering company. I thought since AI is a huge threat to his industry, this is an unexpected turn on my path, so I step upped I Delivered the 5 unique brands for 5 Sports Betting AIs along with technical strategy and roadmap to develop them at scale.
Kevin offered a long-term job (10 year span) and a $5,000 contract for the work in July.
- While I was open to the job, I was confused a 10 year career offer. Unfortunately, it turned out, that was his pitch to get me to lower my standards. Kevin frequently changed project scope, reducing it to a single “teaser” site while demanding extensive work.
- Used bait-and-switch tactics, promising a secure job and future projects but shifting expectations without additional compensation.
- Ignored emails, criticized minor delays, and downplayed the value of AI-generated content.
- Delivered comprehensive products, including research, analysis, and proposed improvements.
- Kevin made vague job promises, avoided discussing salary and project details, and attempted to revert my salary to 2012 levels.
- Complained about the technical depth required for AI products.
- Attempted to acquire my intellectual property without proper recognition or compensation.
- Terminated the project when I asserted my rights over my IP.
- Claimed he was overpaying for the reduced scope, ignoring my significant contributions.
- Sent a final message asserting my rights over my IP and documented all interactions.
- Kevin’s current site lacks strategic branding due to his short-sighted approach.
- The experience was a valuable lesson in setting clear boundaries, protecting my IP, and recognizing manipulative behavior.
- Focused on securing new opportunities with the knowledge and confidence to navigate similar situations more effectively.
The Email I sent Him.
Attempting to acquire IP as a hiring bonus without proper recognition or compensation is unethical.
Devaluing the work without reviewing it and ending the relationship when I held you accountable confirms this.
Your goal to publish the work on your site without an agreement would have established loose legal ownership, potentially harming me in the inevitable disputes that would arise from your entitled attitude and problematic behavior.
Demanding top-tier results for minimal investment? That’s not how this works.
Consider this your official cease and desist. Any unauthorized use of my concepts will be met with immediate legal action. I’m taking this to someone hungry and who will take it seriously.
Let’s be absolutely clear: I delivered five distinct, data-driven homepage designs with multiple “About” and “Contact” pages which you knew about when I clearly communicated to you about multiple options the day before.
You jumped to conclusions about the project’s completion without even reviewing the work which is shocking and reveals your hand.
Instead of embracing the process, you judged my approach with technology you clearly don’t understand – yet feel entitled to benefit from. That’s not how we build game-changing products.
It’s evident that your goal was to use my work as a prop in a superficial display of ‘Tech Theater.’ Rather than genuinely leveraging cutting-edge AI tools to improve your business or deliver real value, you intended to create the illusion of technological innovation.
By showcasing my tech, you sought to deceive clients and partners into believing that your company was deeply engaged in transformative technology integration. In reality, you were only interested in appearances, not substance. This approach is risky, as it misleads stakeholders and customers into thinking they are dealing with a forward-thinking, tech-savvy company when, in truth, the commitment to genuine innovation is absent.
True innovation demands more than just a facade—it requires real effort, deep understanding, and a commitment to substantive development.
Real tech is about solving problems, creating value, and making a difference. It’s about building products that people use and love. Not just superficial stories that fizzle out under scrutiny.
It’s a good thing I didn’t waste this opportunity on something that wouldn’t stand up to real scrutiny and I didn’t give it away just because you thought it would be nice to have.
While the job offer was appreciated, your evasiveness around salary, complaints about reading the required technicals, and the vague terms raised serious red flags for me.
Intellectual property is valuable and there are ways of acquiring it that are fair and ethical, I was open to something very reasonable and contingent on it meeting performance metrics. You should have been open to something reasonable as well.
Unauthorized use of my intellectual property and subsequent branding will not be tolerated. I have thoroughly documented all work and communications to anticipate and address this situation.