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Let me recap: * One of the two cofounders was on his honeymoon for the month of May, right after launch. * The other cofounder had difficulty managing everyth

by chime 16y ago

Let me recap: * One of the two cofounders was on his honeymoon for the month of May, right after launch. * The other cofounder had difficulty managing everything on his own. * Cofounder comes back from the honeymoon and decides to leave for good. * Remaining cofounder doesn't want to run it on his own. In my past life, I've been both of these guys and frankly, it is hard to blame either. If the passion somehow died for honeymooning-cofounder, you can't expect him to give his very best on this startup. On the other hand, if your cofounder leaves, you have very little incentive to do everything on your own. Part of working with a cofounder is each person doing what the other most probably dislikes (usually biz vs. tech). What's the fun if you have to get better pricing AND write efficient code? Most people like one or the other. I think the take-away from this and my own life examples is to start small, not try to get too much publicity early on, work on finishing the product before making promises, and most importantly, be honest to yourself and your cofounder.

michael_dorfman 16y ago
Wow. Maybe it's because I've never been either of those guys, but I have trouble rustling up as much compassion as you seem to. One of the two co-founders schedules a launch right before his honeymoon? Who does that? And, after just a couple months, the passion dies? What kind of commitment does that show? I agree with your take-away, though. Don't try to get hype, until you actually have something solid to hype.
- chime 16y ago
  > One of the two co-founders schedules a launch right before his honeymoon? Who does that? Life. Nobody knows what happens next. I have no idea how/what/why this transpired but it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine that the wedding/honeymoon was planned well-in-advance. And the success of the startup was a last-second thing. Sure, the honeymoon could have been postponed but then again, maybe he wasn't certain about the startup, the other cofounder, or his life in general. Truth is, nobody knows other than the guys themselves. That's why I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Because I've been there. And because if you are in a position where you have to choose between commitments you've already made and dreams you wish to pursue, you have to say "no" to someone. Maybe the passion did not die. Maybe there were other reasons that the founders do not want to share. Maybe it was personality issues, financial issues, or even health. Who knows? The reason I am giving them the benefit of the doubt is that they came out clean and apologized. That is action and it was direct, honest, and to the point.
  - michael_dorfman 16y ago
    Definite props for the act of apologizing; less so for the reason sounding so shallow. Sure, weddings are planned well in advance. Product launches should be, too. Maybe there were other reasons. Shit happens. But, when shit happens so fast as to lead you to shut down two months after launching, we're deep into the "failing to plan is planning to fail" category.
  - nphase 16y ago
    I'd have to agree with michael_dorfman here, a honeymoon that lasts 'most of May' doesn't sound like the responsible thing to do in the midst of launching a startup.
- webwright 16y ago
  "And, after just a couple months, the passion dies? What kind of commitment does that show?" You ever break up with a girl because you just couldn't bring yourself to want to be with her even though you and all your friends agree that she (on the outside) feels like the perfect girl for you? How long could you talk yourself into staying with her for the sake of commitment? 50%+ of marriages end before the "death do us part" part. ;-) Commitment is hard, and it's hard to talk yourself into doing a startup you no longer love when you can't bring yourself to WANT to. You owe it to your partners and customers to stick through low spots to see if you can beat the funk, but you don't owe anyone beyond that.
  - avk 16y ago
    Your analogy simplifies things too much. A co-founder leaving isn't at all like breaking up with a girlfriend. Many other people are affected in the situation. I think marriage is a more appropriate comparison. Divorce affects your immediate (investors, employees) and extended family (users, partners, other stakeholders). It's a decision I know I'd think about a great deal more than a break up with a girlfriend.
    - webwright 16y ago
      Right, which is why I talked about marriage in my analogy. A deeper commitment means that you ought to give it some time to see if you can shake the loss of passion. In the case of a 3-5 month old startup, though, with no employees (dunno about investors), I imagine it's a bit closer to a girlfriend than a marriage.

by chime 16y ago

michael_dorfman 16y ago

Wow. Maybe it's because I've never been either of those guys, but I have trouble rustling up as much compassion as you seem to. One of the two co-founders schedules a launch right before his honeymoon? Who does that? And, after just a couple months, the passion dies? What kind of commitment does that show? I agree with your take-away, though. Don't try to get hype, until you actually have something solid to hype.

chime 16y ago
> One of the two co-founders schedules a launch right before his honeymoon? Who does that? Life. Nobody knows what happens next. I have no idea how/what/why this transpired but it wouldn't be far-fetched to imagine that the wedding/honeymoon was planned well-in-advance. And the success of the startup was a last-second thing. Sure, the honeymoon could have been postponed but then again, maybe he wasn't certain about the startup, the other cofounder, or his life in general. Truth is, nobody knows other than the guys themselves. That's why I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Because I've been there. And because if you are in a position where you have to choose between commitments you've already made and dreams you wish to pursue, you have to say "no" to someone. Maybe the passion did not die. Maybe there were other reasons that the founders do not want to share. Maybe it was personality issues, financial issues, or even health. Who knows? The reason I am giving them the benefit of the doubt is that they came out clean and apologized. That is action and it was direct, honest, and to the point.
- michael_dorfman 16y ago
  Definite props for the act of apologizing; less so for the reason sounding so shallow. Sure, weddings are planned well in advance. Product launches should be, too. Maybe there were other reasons. Shit happens. But, when shit happens so fast as to lead you to shut down two months after launching, we're deep into the "failing to plan is planning to fail" category.
- nphase 16y ago
  I'd have to agree with michael_dorfman here, a honeymoon that lasts 'most of May' doesn't sound like the responsible thing to do in the midst of launching a startup.
webwright 16y ago
"And, after just a couple months, the passion dies? What kind of commitment does that show?" You ever break up with a girl because you just couldn't bring yourself to want to be with her even though you and all your friends agree that she (on the outside) feels like the perfect girl for you? How long could you talk yourself into staying with her for the sake of commitment? 50%+ of marriages end before the "death do us part" part. ;-) Commitment is hard, and it's hard to talk yourself into doing a startup you no longer love when you can't bring yourself to WANT to. You owe it to your partners and customers to stick through low spots to see if you can beat the funk, but you don't owe anyone beyond that.
- avk 16y ago
  Your analogy simplifies things too much. A co-founder leaving isn't at all like breaking up with a girlfriend. Many other people are affected in the situation. I think marriage is a more appropriate comparison. Divorce affects your immediate (investors, employees) and extended family (users, partners, other stakeholders). It's a decision I know I'd think about a great deal more than a break up with a girlfriend.
  - webwright 16y ago
    Right, which is why I talked about marriage in my analogy. A deeper commitment means that you ought to give it some time to see if you can shake the loss of passion. In the case of a 3-5 month old startup, though, with no employees (dunno about investors), I imagine it's a bit closer to a girlfriend than a marriage.