Recently, a friend (let’s call him John—an ex-colleague) and another person, Pete (John’s friend, whom I don’t know well), decided to start a business. They invited me to join because I bring a skill set they lack. At first, I was open to it, but now I’m noticing red flags that make me want to reconsider.

Some key concerns:

They seem more focused on showing off that they’re starting a business rather than actually putting in the work. Pete never pays attention in meetings—he’s constantly distracted, barely contributes, and instead posts pictures of our meetings on social media. John doesn’t seem to mind. An investor showed interest and wants equal equity. After researching, I found they have a history of shady business dealings and political ties I want no part of. I raised this concern, but my partners brushed it off, saying, “All investors have shady dealings—that’s just how business works.” We had a meeting about the investor, and I felt completely gaslighted. They made it seem like rejecting this investor would mean we can’t succeed at all. That’s completely against my values. Now, I’m questioning everything about their ethics. My gut is telling me to walk away while I still can—nothing is signed yet, so I have that option. My concern is that they might try to manipulate me into staying or that leaving could create tension, as the business community here is small.

I don’t want to burn bridges, so I’m considering offering my services on a freelance basis if needed (though I’m not thrilled about it) just to maintain goodwill.

What would you do in my situation? Any advice on how to navigate this would be much appreciated