It sounds like this is a great learning experience, and yes others are possibly going to make more money.
My thoughts here is that you're writing code for them, its theirs.
You have to share the code, but not all the other notes, methods and things that you know, so keep the comments low and the other documentation to yourself.
You have negotiated to work for 4 months and at the end of 4 months you can walk out. HOWEVER if they aren't complete and need you, you have some very powerful leverage.
You need to ensure you have detailed the extra work, and if necessary show that when your time is up. With that information they cannot claim you haven't performed.
You made a suggestion (which should be acknowledged as helping them) for different hardware, and your work ensured it works as expected.
Use this as bargaining, and suggest that you've helped ensure it is viable while still upholding your end of the agreement.
This is a startup and may not go onto greater things.
You've learned some valuable lessons and received some money to keep the wolves at the door.
More that either of those you've kept your integrity and done what you were asked to do, plus extras, and in my books you can't buy that or pay someone else for it.
Near to your 4 months I'd start looking for alternatives and use this example in your CV.
You may get a better offer from this company and then you are prepared to negotiate based on what you know now.
I've been told it is always easier to find employment while you're in employment.
I'm not sure if it is true but I've worked for 7 others (well one was for ourselves) in my time and apart from one, I stepped from one job to another.
It sounds like this is a great learning experience, and yes others are possibly going to make more money.
My thoughts here is that you're writing code for them, its theirs.
You have to share the code, but not all the other notes, methods and things that you know, so keep the comments low and the other documentation to yourself.
You have negotiated to work for 4 months and at the end of 4 months you can walk out. HOWEVER if they aren't complete and need you, you have some very powerful leverage.
You need to ensure you have detailed the extra work, and if necessary show that when your time is up. With that information they cannot claim you haven't performed.
You made a suggestion (which should be acknowledged as helping them) for different hardware, and your work ensured it works as expected.
Use this as bargaining, and suggest that you've helped ensure it is viable while still upholding your end of the agreement.
This is a startup and may not go onto greater things.
You've learned some valuable lessons and received some money to keep the wolves at the door.
More that either of those you've kept your integrity and done what you were asked to do, plus extras, and in my books you can't buy that or pay someone else for it.
Near to your 4 months I'd start looking for alternatives and use this example in your CV.
You may get a better offer from this company and then you are prepared to negotiate based on what you know now.
I've been told it is always easier to find employment while you're in employment.
I'm not sure if it is true but I've worked for 7 others (well one was for ourselves) in my time and apart from one, I stepped from one job to another.
