From my experience previously looking for a non-technical founder, I've run into a lot of people who think they're the second coming of Steve Jobs or something like that and so in turn try to hardball in equity and other negotiations despite having no leverage at all, which just makes them look like a fool. An idea is worth essentially $0 without any ability to execute it. The fact that equity points are a big concern should be a glaring red flag to stay away.
Sure, if an idea was entirely unique and revolutionary, but wanting to build the umpteenth CRM SaaS startup is not. Nobody in regards to technology ever pays anybody for ideas, they pay them for their ability to execute or sell/market those ideas. The "famous labs" you describe but don't name are _labs_, and the innovation that came out of them was a result of people with ideas and the ability to execute.
> The "famous labs" you describe but don't name are _labs_, and the innovation that came out of them was a result of people with ideas and the ability to execute.
and, crucially, extremely successful parent companies that could afford to throw millions at long shots that might not pay out for a decade.
