Co-founder title, when an early employee asks for it, what do you do?

Question

I am an early employee at a startup who joined at the idea stage. Now we are hiring a key executive and making them co-founder too. I asked for the title for myself and I was told no, while acknowledging that I am absolutely essential to the company's success. I have read before that co-founder titles are usually currency you should give to the earliest employees to keep them motivated but instead I am being told no because the incoming exec might not see me as their "peer". Is this a good reason to say no to your most essential employee who is building out the product as the product leader of the company? It has also been acknowledged I would have the most equity in the company except for the current single founder.

ramtatatam · Accepted Answer

I wonder what others will say.I was sort-of in similar situation. Though I recognized I'm only an employee for simple reason - I was paid for what I was doing. In the same time founder of the company would not pay himself if there was a bad month (it's another story that when I was joining him I was told there is 1 million on the bank account...)Are you paid monthly salary or do you contribute your time as investment (i.e. living on your savings)?Also - this key executive - what does he bring to the company? Contacts? Money? Both?