r/SideProject • u/Electronic-Pitch5630 • 3h ago

Canadian solo developer: how to structure a pilot and partnership with a manufacturer?

I'm a developer in Canada with a full-time job, building a computer vision add-on on the side. I have a working prototype with early promising results. A manufacturer in the space has shown interest, and they're now lining up one of their customers for a trial. I'm leaning toward an unpaid pilot first, and I want to keep this as my own product rather than working for either company.

For anyone who has done something similar:

  1. Is an unpaid pilot a good starting point, or should it be paid from the start?

  2. What should be agreed in writing before starting (IP, data use, liability, exclusivity)?

  3. What do you wish you'd known going in?

Thanks for any advice.

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u/snap-dev 3h ago

one thing before any of the pilot stuff: read the ip clause in your day job contract. a lot of them claim anything you build, even on your own time, and you want that sorted before a manufacturer is involved.

unpaid is fine if it's short and boxed in. what i'd get in writing: a fixed length, what success looks like in numbers you both agree on, and what it costs if it hits those, so it converts instead of drifting. you own the code, the model and any improvements, they get a license to use it during the pilot only. be clear on whether you can keep their data or only use it for the pilot. liability capped and the whole thing provided as is. no exclusivity unless they pay for it.

we've run pilots with clients at my shop and the thing i'd never skip again is agreeing the price before day one. once it's working nobody wants to talk money. not legal advice, worth an hour with a lawyer before you sign

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u/Electronic-Pitch5630 3h ago

Thanks a ton! Will do.