Co-founder Conflict Resolution
Hands down, the most exciting part of my work is helping startup co-founders work better together by navigating difficult conversations, resolving conflict, and facilitating communication to cultivate the co-foundership.
In my work with startup founders, I have come across some trends that echo in the co-founder relationship and can have devastating effects, not only on the relationship but also on the business as a whole.
For better or worse, it can be reassuring to have your co-founder by your side, however that relationship can also become the source of your sleepless nights, nagging headaches, and compounding resentment.
Common trends
Misaligned vision and goals
Unequal workloads
Power struggles
Financial disputes
Conflicting leadership styles
Trust issues
Decision making paralysis
Exit strategy disagreements
Ongoing bickering
Repeated avoidance of certain topics
Getting stuck in rigid conversations with predictable tipping points
As a co-founder, you know all too well that you have a full plate. You’re expected to manage employees, take on new hires, deal with investors, navigate PR, scale your company, write the cheques, handle fundraising, and the list goes on.
Given the high pressure that comes with the territory, co-founder friction will all too often lodge itself into various aspects of the business, possibly even to its demise.
Your co-founder relationship should not feel like you’re stuck in a stale, miserable marriage.
Open communication is the name of the game. It’s all about buckling up and talking things through to cultivate the co-foundership so you can achieve more optimal performance, get bigger outcomes, and hit more home runs together as a team.
