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Money. Greed. It destroys more friendships (and marriages) than anything else. So what's the lesson here? Don't be careless. I don't care what the idea (startu

by crag 12y ago

Money. Greed. It destroys more friendships (and marriages) than anything else. So what's the lesson here? Don't be careless. I don't care what the idea (startup) is - get the details on paper. True, 99% of startups fail, but you don't want to be in that 1% that's making the lawyers rich.

TallGuyShort 12y ago
I think the other lesson here is to consciously know when you cross the line away from an amount of money you're willing to walk away from to save the friendship, and be sure that's what you want.
at-fates-hands 12y ago
>> Money. Greed. It destroys more friendships (and marriages) than anything else. This a thousand time. My first hard earned rule of thumb? Don't do business with your friends. Lost relationships, bitterness, and great financial loss is never worth it. I got burned really bad and spent the better part of four years trying to get my money back. Since then, it's just something I live by.
- gonzo 12y ago
  Friends? OK But I've been in business with my spouse for over a decade now.
  - zavulon 12y ago
    That's different. Your spouse's and yours financial interests are most likely aligned - you are both bringing in money to one family, so most likely there are no arguments who gets how much. With friends, you and your friend are competing for the same financial pie.
- maineldc 12y ago
  I am almost the complete opposite. I only start companies with friends and while there have been some issues, it has served me very well. I think it partly depends on the definition of friend. I don't start companies with acquaintances, I start them with people that I love and respect. When you do that, starting a company becomes a really special endeavor. This is very relevant for me at the moment because I am starting a new company and the person that I am hounding to be the founding CTO is a "newer friend" (we have only known each other for 4 years or so) but I am convinced that we will be a great team. My advice is to start companies to work with people you love vs. trying to make a bunch of money. It's such a great way to "work" and greed will have a hard time breaking that.

by crag 12y ago

TallGuyShort 12y ago

I think the other lesson here is to consciously know when you cross the line away from an amount of money you're willing to walk away from to save the friendship, and be sure that's what you want.

at-fates-hands 12y ago

>> Money. Greed. It destroys more friendships (and marriages) than anything else. This a thousand time. My first hard earned rule of thumb? Don't do business with your friends. Lost relationships, bitterness, and great financial loss is never worth it. I got burned really bad and spent the better part of four years trying to get my money back. Since then, it's just something I live by.

gonzo 12y ago
Friends? OK But I've been in business with my spouse for over a decade now.
- zavulon 12y ago
  That's different. Your spouse's and yours financial interests are most likely aligned - you are both bringing in money to one family, so most likely there are no arguments who gets how much. With friends, you and your friend are competing for the same financial pie.
maineldc 12y ago
I am almost the complete opposite. I only start companies with friends and while there have been some issues, it has served me very well. I think it partly depends on the definition of friend. I don't start companies with acquaintances, I start them with people that I love and respect. When you do that, starting a company becomes a really special endeavor. This is very relevant for me at the moment because I am starting a new company and the person that I am hounding to be the founding CTO is a "newer friend" (we have only known each other for 4 years or so) but I am convinced that we will be a great team. My advice is to start companies to work with people you love vs. trying to make a bunch of money. It's such a great way to "work" and greed will have a hard time breaking that.