Okay, so I tell you to build me a house. You will work full time to build the house, you can build it as you like on my piece of land, I will provide you with the material for it, well at least the material I can afford. If I like the house I will pay you for your job. Sounds like a good deal?

No? Why? You like building houses and be creative. I give you free material?

Still no? So what is wrong?

Oh, you want a security that you will get paid when you have finished building my house? Okay but if I don’t like it I don’t really want to pay if it’s ugly or so. Of course, I trust your building capacity. You have built several nice houses. But I’m not sure anyway. I think it’s a good deal.

Oh, you want security to get some paid for your work you do?

I guess no one would agree on that deal up there. Still this deal I get from artists almost every month. I offer to work with their music they produce for a stake in the rights. I will put in long hours with really no chance to even get paid. But I like the music so I’m willing to put that up. But I want a small security so if it goes right I get some paid by getting some percentage of the rights to the music that I work with. Then the artist tells you, well if you get something you can get paid from that amount.

That is the ultimate insult. Yes, you can work for free, building a house on my property and if I like it I might pay you.

I get something like a record deal or a placement then I would get some money if you like that placement or deal. I might work my ass off for months to get a placement in and then you can just say no since you don’t like the brand.

Never offer anyone to work for free and get something if something happens. That just means you don’t trust my building experience. And that just get me to not want to work with you.