Why you should never sign a 7 year non-compete
Let’s just get one thing straight: asking an entrepreneur to sign a 7-year non-compete is like asking a shark to become a vegan. It’s not just impractical—it’s biologically offensive.
And yet, someone—probably wearing a poorly tailored suit and confusing PowerPoint with personality—actually tried it. Yes, a real-life grown adult thought it was a brilliant idea to ask a successful entrepreneur (the kind who builds real empires from real concepts) to voluntarily sit on the sidelines of capitalism for seven entire years.
That's not a non-compete. That’s a hostage situation.
“But What If They Start Another Business?”
Ah yes, the dreaded entrepreneur… starting businesses… creating jobs… stimulating the economy. Heaven forbid someone take their talents elsewhere and build something new, right? That might… help people.
Imagine going up to Elon Musk in 2008 and saying,
“Hey buddy, no rockets or electric cars for the next decade, okay? It’s just better for the industry.”
He would’ve launched you into orbit.
The Audacity of the Ask
A 7-year non-compete assumes three things:
1. You own the other person’s brain.
Spoiler: you don’t. That’s illegal. That’s called slavery. We solved that one a while ago.
2. The market is static.
As if tech, consumer tastes, and the entire global economy won’t change six times in seven years. Seriously—by the time this thing expires, TikTok will be a history podcast and the metaverse might actually exist.
3. Entrepreneurs are just going to sit around.
Oh sure, let me go spend the next seven years not solving problems or building things. Maybe I’ll take up underwater basket weaving. Maybe I’ll just stare out the window and think about what could’ve been.
Meanwhile, the Entrepreneur is Thinking:
“Seven years? I could’ve:
- Built three companies
- Sold two of them
- Bought a vineyard
- Funded an indie film based on the life of an entrepreneur who didn’t sign a 7-year non-compete
Seriously, seven years in founder time is basically four lifetimes. If you want to guarantee someone never does anything meaningful again, you might as well hand them a Netflix subscription, a weighted blanket, and a lifetime supply of Hot Pockets.
The Smart Move? Saying “Hell No.”
Smart entrepreneurs always read the fine print. Then they laugh, pour a glass of wine, call their lawyer, and ask for help crafting the most polite version of:
“Absolutely not, and also—what were you smoking?”
Because smart entrepreneurs don’t mortgage their futures for someone else’s insecurity. They don’t give away their freedom like it’s a gym membership they forgot they had. They know their time is their most valuable asset—and they’re not about to let it collect dust on a shelf until 2032.
Moral of the Story?
Never sign a 7-year non-compete. Not for money, not for clout. And definitely not because a guy who likes vanilla-flavored cigars, wear pastel-colored golf shirts, and subscribes to fake origin stories told you it’s “standard.”
Unless your goal in life is to become a living, breathing paperweight—just say no.
Because while they’re busy trying to cage your future, you’ve got better things to do: like build the next great thing…and make them regret ever asking.