# Collaboration Agreement > Drafts collaboration agreements for joint projects with scope, contribution, revenue, and IP ownership terms. - Skill: `reaperinvest/collaboration-agreement` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/collaboration-agreement` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/collaboration-agreement/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Finance & Business - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/collaboration-agreement --- # Collaboration Agreement ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Draft a collaboration agreement for a joint project between two or more parties - Define scope, contributions, revenue sharing, and IP ownership in writing - Create a lightweight but thorough contract for co-created products or campaigns - Formalize the terms of a project-based partnership before work begins **DO NOT** use this skill for employment contracts, full legal partnership agreements, or terms of service. This is for project-based collaboration agreements between independent parties. Always recommend legal review for high-value agreements. --- ## Core Principle THE BEST TIME TO WRITE A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT IS WHEN BOTH PARTIES ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT — NOT AFTER A DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHO OWNS WHAT. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Project description** | "What are you creating together?" | No default — must be provided | | **Collaborators** | "Who is involved? (names and roles)" | No default — must be provided | | **Contributions** | "What does each party contribute? (time, money, expertise, audience)" | No default — must be provided | | **Revenue model** | "How will money be made and split?" | 50/50 split | | **Timeline** | "What is the project timeline?" | No default — must be provided | | **IP expectations** | "Who owns the finished product?" | Joint ownership | **GATE: Confirm all inputs before drafting.** --- ## Phase 2: Structure ### Agreement Sections ``` 1. Parties — who is entering the agreement 2. Project scope — what is being created 3. Contributions — what each party provides 4. Timeline and milestones — key dates and deliverables 5. Revenue and expenses — how money flows 6. Intellectual property — who owns what 7. Decision-making — how disagreements are resolved 8. Confidentiality — what stays private 9. Termination — how to exit the agreement 10. Signatures — making it official ``` ### IP Ownership Options Present these options to the user: ``` ## Option A: Joint Ownership Both parties co-own all created assets. Either party can use them independently. ## Option B: Divided Ownership Each party owns the assets they contributed. Co-created assets are jointly owned. ## Option C: Single Ownership with License One party owns all assets. The other receives a perpetual license to use them. ## Option D: Project-Specific Ownership Assets are owned by the project entity. If the collaboration ends, assets are divided per the agreement. ``` **GATE: Present the structure and IP option for approval.** --- ## Phase 3: Write ### Agreement Template Write in clear, plain language (not legalese). ``` # Collaboration Agreement **Date:** [Date] **Between:** [Party A name, business, address] and [Party B name, business, address] **Project:** [Project name and one-sentence description] ## 1. Project Scope [Detailed description of what will be created, including what is NOT included] ## 2. Contributions **[Party A] will provide:** - [Specific contribution with estimated value or hours] **[Party B] will provide:** - [Specific contribution with estimated value or hours] ## 3. Timeline | Milestone | Owner | Due Date | |-----------|-------|----------| | [Milestone 1] | [Party] | [Date] | | [Milestone 2] | [Party] | [Date] | | [Project completion] | [Both] | [Date] | ## 4. Revenue and Expenses **Revenue split:** [X%] to [Party A], [Y%] to [Party B] **Expense handling:** [How expenses are shared or reimbursed] **Payment schedule:** [When and how payments are distributed] **Accounting:** [Who tracks revenue and provides reports] ## 5. Intellectual Property [Selected IP ownership model with specific terms] ## 6. Decision-Making - Day-to-day decisions: [Process] - Major decisions (scope changes, budget increases): [Requires mutual agreement] - Deadlocks: [Resolution process — mediation, third-party tiebreaker, etc.] ## 7. Confidentiality Both parties agree not to share proprietary information, customer data, or financial details related to this project without written consent. ## 8. Termination - Either party may terminate with [X days] written notice - Upon termination: [How in-progress work and revenue are handled] - Surviving clauses: confidentiality and IP terms survive termination ## 9. General Terms - This agreement represents the entire understanding between parties - Amendments require written agreement from both parties - [Governing jurisdiction if relevant] ## Signatures _________________________ _________________________ [Party A Name] [Party B Name] Date: ___________ Date: ___________ ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Scenario Testing Walk through these "what if" scenarios to test the agreement: ``` - What if one party stops contributing midway? - What if the project earns $0? - What if it earns 10x projections? - What if one party wants to use the asset for a different project? - What if one party wants out early? - What if a third party wants to join? ``` ### 2. Agreement Checklist ``` - [ ] Project scope is specific enough that both parties could describe it identically - [ ] Every contribution is listed with estimated value or time - [ ] Revenue split is defined with payment method and schedule - [ ] IP ownership is explicitly stated - [ ] Termination process is fair and clear - [ ] Confidentiality clause is included - [ ] Both parties have reviewed and understand every section - [ ] Legal review recommended for projects exceeding $5,000 in value ``` ### 3. Legal Disclaimer Always include: "This agreement template is for reference purposes. For projects involving significant revenue, complex IP, or multiple parties, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction." --- ## Example 1: Co-Created Online Course ``` Scope: Create and sell a 6-module online course on email marketing Party A: Creates all course content and teaches live sessions Party B: Handles marketing, sales page, and email campaigns Revenue: 50/50 split on all course sales after $2,000 in shared expenses IP: Joint ownership — both can reference the course in their portfolios Timeline: 8 weeks to launch ``` ## Example 2: Co-Authored E-Book ``` Scope: Write and publish a 30,000-word business guide Party A: Writes chapters 1-5 and handles editing Party B: Writes chapters 6-10 and handles design and publishing Revenue: 50/50 on all sales, Party B handles distribution IP: Joint ownership with equal rights to derivative works Timeline: 12 weeks to publication ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Handshake deals** — verbal agreements create disputes. Always put it in writing, even between friends. - **Vague scope** — "we will create something together" is not a scope. Define exactly what will be built. - **Ignoring the unhappy path** — agreements that only describe success scenarios fail when problems arise. - **Equal split by default** — 50/50 is easy but not always fair. Match the split to actual contributions. - **No termination clause** — every agreement needs an exit. Partners who cannot leave become resentful partners. - **Skipping legal review for large projects** — this template works for small collaborations. For anything over $10K, get a lawyer. --- ## Recovery - **Parties disagree on contributions:** Have each party independently list what they will contribute, then compare. Negotiate from data, not feelings. - **IP ownership is contentious:** Default to divided ownership (each owns what they created, co-created assets are shared). It is the least risky option. - **User wants a simple one-page agreement:** Condense to scope, contributions, revenue split, IP ownership, and termination. Five sections minimum. - **Project is already underway without an agreement:** Draft retroactively. Better late than never. Include a "retroactive effective date" clause.