Startup: Can you walk this journey alone?
The answer is ‘of course’—but that also means you will be ‘alone at the top’ in every risk and failure.
And the Advice Is: ‘Do Not Start a Business Alone.’ This Will Help Us Reach Success Faster.
BUT finding true co-founders is far from simple. Take a look,
‘Troublesome’ Co-founders and Common Conflicts
Types of ‘Troublesome’ Founders
First, choose the right person. Just as in dating, take time to find a suitable match, because wrong choices are everywhere. Here are some typical profiles you may encounter:
Friends: This co-founder is often a friend you knew before starting the business together. They may be kind, enthusiastic about the startup and fond of your idea. But after the first 6 months, when the startup’s ‘honeymoon’ ends, they lose their fire and become sluggish at work.
Genius: Co-founders of this type are, of course, very intelligent. They may even be much smarter than you, and hardworking too. You might immediately ‘love’ these people, but unfortunately they are so smart that they feel no need to collaborate with you. They are the type who cannot listen to anyone’s opinion but their own.
The Strategist: This type of co-founder loves mapping out strategies for growing the startup with you. They will create grand plans to revolutionize the world, yet have no idea how to get the first 1000 users. They offer empty theories without taking action, so send them back to school.
The Mysterious Person: These co-founders always have a job-search website open in their browser. They have multiple Facebook accounts to promote their various side projects. These mysterious figures could leave the startup at any moment to do something else.
Sales expert: Co-founders in this category spend day and night finding customers and promoting their product. That is wonderful, except that they know little about the startup everyone is building.
Lawyer: This type of co-founder tries to turn everything into contractual terms in black and white. They always worry about dividing things up before actually creating anything.
Common types of conflict
When ambitious people from different professional backgrounds are thrown together to work under intense financial pressure and a constant fear of failure, conflict is inevitable. Let us look at some common types of conflict:
My idea is better!
We cannot measure the value of an idea; only how it is implemented is worth comparing. Stop arguing pointlessly and try implementing a “bad” idea to see whether you are doing well.
Who decides what?
Share responsibilities equally. Respecting your partner’s views on startup-related matters is the secret to a sustainable partnership. Otherwise, the question “Who decides what?” alone will kill the startup before you realize it.
I work harder than you
Unless you have concrete evidence that your colleague is “lazier” than you, remain calm. It is difficult to measure each person's work accurately in a startup. The person responsible for sales may sign no contracts this week but bring in a very large customer next week.
Either you go, or I go!
This is the worst kind of conflict. The problem is not only that one of you must leave, but that you argued for a long time before reaching this ‘ugly’ conclusion. If you care about the startup's survival, resolve this as soon as possible.
Oh no, we are going to fail…
Almost every new day could be a startup's day of “death.” Failure is always on everyone's mind. So why keep talking about it? If a co-founder keeps harping on about failure, stop them. Enthusiasm is a startup's greatest asset.
Who gets what
An equity agreement will resolve many conflicts over share allocation. In the early stage, divide shares fairly and reasonably to avoid future disputes.
Who cleans the office?
Even the smallest matters can spark dissatisfaction. Remember that in a startup, no one's work is more important than anyone else's. If you cannot afford to hire someone for miscellaneous chores, those tasks should be divided and shared.
We need to plan our strategy more carefully
“Nine times out of ten, strategic planning is merely a form of procrastination.” – Paul Graham.
Remember: Doing something wrong is better than doing nothing at all!
I leave work at 5 pm
Everyone has a private life and personal concerns. Instead of demanding that others sympathize with your problems, let colleagues see your dedication and the utmost priority you give your work.
Source – Excerpt: Thủy Bình/Fundersandfounders
