Am I ripping off my "cofounder" if I propose he owns 1-3% equity? His ideal role in my mind is somewhere between an advisor and early employee.

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Why partner with him at all? Just build the thing yourself and hire him to help you at an appropriate time, i.e. after the business is de-risked enough to where non-essential employees can be hired.

It sounds like the only thing you think he can usefully contribute is the idea, and ideas are worthless. You can’t engage with him as a co-founder, only as an employee.