I think you made a good move by releasing the code and, please, do ask for upfront cash, or don't take the job. Nothing good can come out of not doing so.
I agree completely. Young guys don't realize that if a "businessman" doesn't have enough cash on hand to pay for even basic expenses to start a big fancy business, there's absolutely no chance whatsoever that he has the business acumen to run a company profitably should it against all expectations survive. It's a no-win situation. You either will never get paid or you'll be working for a company run by someone who doesn't know how to run a business beyond talking some sucker into developing product for free.
The OP's comments about how he wasn't some greedy person looking for a fat check shows he's a bit deluded as well. It's not greedy to get paid for the hard work you do that benefits others, and it's a peculiar mental illness in our industry that many claim it is greedy to be paid. It is not only perfectly fine to be paid for your work, it's fine to be paid very well if you are very good, and there is no shame or greed in doing so.
