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Hamza Zulquernain · Equity Partnership

I'll build it with you. And bet on it with you.

Less cash up front and a real stake in how your business does. It starts with a paid two-week pilot.

Apply for a partnership
Book a callRather pay cash? See the fractional CTO offer →

How it works

For a business I believe in, I take part of my pay as a stake in how it does. I work as your fractional CTO: I build the software, run the growth work with you and stay close to the numbers.

  1. Pilot

    Two weeks, paid

    I go deep on your numbers, your funnel, your team and your software. Then we decide together if a stake makes sense, before either of us commits to more.

  2. Build

    About 3 months

    I build what the pilot shows matters most: the website, the ads, the booking or ordering flow and the back office behind them. Built with your team, as one system.

  3. Grow

    Month to month

    We test new offers and channels, keep what works and drop what doesn't. I stay in the weeds, so you can stay on the business.

  4. Hand over

    End of the term

    Your team gets the keys: the code and accounts in your company's name, a runbook and a staff guide. The system keeps working whether I stay on or step back.

The pilot is the real test. If I don't see a clear way to grow your number, I'll say so and we part as friends. Nothing carries on unless you want it to, and no equity changes hands.

What it costs

Reduced cash, and a real stake in the result. These are the usual terms. We settle the details during the pilot.

Pilot
$7,500
Two weeks, paid. Credited against the first three months if we go ahead.
Cash
Reduced
60–70% of my usual fee, never zero.
Term
6–24 months
Renewed and renegotiated each cycle.
Stake
Set after the pilot
Agreed once we've both seen the numbers, never before.

Two ways to structure the stake

Most businesses this size never sell. A minority stake in one that doesn't is worth a good deal less than its share on paper. So there are two honest ways to do this. The right one depends on whether you are building toward a sale.

  • Option A

    Contract equity

    A share of what the business sells for, set in a contract. I never become a shareholder.

    • A fixed percentage of the sale price, if the business is ever sold
    • No shares issued, no cap table to reopen, no new party in how you govern
    • No voting rights and no say in how you run the company
    • It ends when the engagement ends, with no claim on a business I am no longer building

    Best when you want our interests aligned but have no plan to take on a partner.

  • Option B

    Real equity, earned over time

    Real ownership, earned against time and results instead of handed over on day one.

    • Granted in three parts: on signing, over time, and against agreed results
    • Voting and information rights, if you want a partner with a vote
    • No sale by year five? An outside valuation sets the value, and the results part is settled against it
    • If I leave early, I lose what hasn't vested, and the company can buy back the rest at a fair price

    Best when you are building toward a sale, or you want a partner with a vote.

Either way, we agree the percentage after the pilot, not before. Your own lawyer and accountant paper the deal. Nothing here is tax or legal advice.

Recent work

What a partnership looks like in practice.

Royal Pawz USA

Houston · Mobile dog grooming

12× monthly revenue by month six.

Google Ads, a landing page, online booking and text follow-ups. I built it and run it as one system.

16 → 136
grooms per month, December to the May peak
30.8%
booking conversion, up from 7.1% (A/B tested)
52%
of revenue from repeat customers by June, up from 13%

Working with Zapp Studios completely transformed our business. The booking system they built and the way they optimized our funnel - we went from barely getting customers online to having a system that just works.

Owner, Royal Pawz USA. I'm an equity partner there.

Read the case study →

Who this is for

A partnership works when we both want the same result. Here is how to tell.

A fit if

  • You have real revenue or proven demand, not just an idea.
  • You want a partner who shares the risk and the upside.
  • You're open to trading a small stake for less cash up front.
  • You're honest about where the business really is, good and bad.

Not a fit if

Tell me about the business.

The button opens your email with a short template. Fill in five lines and send it. I read every one and reply myself. If it looks like a fit, we set up the two-week pilot. If not, I'll tell you what I'd focus on instead.

Apply by emailBook a call

No email app? Write to hamzazulquernain1@gmail.com with your name, company, website, monthly revenue and biggest constraint.