Unpackingthe3Pillarsof Co-founderConflictPrevention
qWhenamovieabout4thrichestmanonEarthhitthebigscreen,peoplewenttoseeitindroves.
qThemovieisrated9/10onrottentomatoesandwhiletheirreal-lifecounterpartsdidn’tevokeany emotionsfromonlookers,onedidendupfeelingbadaboutthebreakupofJesseEisenberg(castasMark Zuckerberg)andAndrewGarfield(castasEduardoSaverin).
qCouldn’titbeprevented?Whydidthetwocollegebuddieshavesuchanuglyfallingout?InrealityMark Zuckerbergbeganhiscompany‘TheFacebook’withthefinancialassistancefromEduardoSaverin.
qThetwoattendedHarvardandwhileZuckerberghadthewitsandidea,hedesperatelyneededfinancial aidthatSaveringenerouslyprovided.
qAsTheFacebookbegantogrowexponentially,SaverinandZuckerbergleftthecampus.Saverin continuedhisinvestmentsbuttookupaninterningopportunityatNewYorkwhileZuckerbergleftforthe WestCoast,lookingtogrowtheTheFacebook.
qDistanceandlackofalignmentledtoasuddenoustingofSaverinlessthantwoyearsafterthe company’sfoundation.
qLawssuits,gossipmongeringpaparazziandotherpeoplelookingforrevengesoonfollowed.Wasthere anotherwaytopreventallthis?
qEveryhealthyrelationshipneedsthreethings:afoundation,honestyandrespecttosustainitself.
qYes,you’veknownyourco-founderforyearsandyouknowhim/herinsideout,buthere’saquickguide
tosafeguardingyourrelationshipagainstanyCofounderConflicts.
Pillar1–StructuralFoundation:Structuresthatpreventconflict
qAFounder’sAgreement:Thisisthebedrockstructurethatco-foundersmustcurate.
qThisisthedocumentwhichspecifiesintellectualpropertyrights,divisionoflabour,accountabilityand ownershipstructuresandothernuancesuponwhichtheorganisationsfunctioningandfounders’ responsibilitieswouldbecurated.
qItshouldalsodiscussthecircumstancesthatneedtobemetinorderforonefoundertotakeaction towardsanotherandwhatthescopeofthoseactionscanbe.
qTheseconversationsaren’tapreparationfortheproverbialdivorce.Theyareinsteadadocumentationof thefoundersdecidingwhattheupperlimitformistakesandconsequenceswouldbe.
Pillar1–StructuralFoundation:Structuresthatpreventconflict
qThisdocumentwouldalsolaterserveasanautopilotcoursetocorrectingmistakesandholdingfounders responsible,shallatroublesomesituationeverarise.
qItshouldalsocontainclausestodiscussco-foundersleavingtheorganisation,thattoowouldserveasthe autopilotresponseshallafounderlaterchoosetowalkaway.
Pillar1–StructuralFoundation:Structuresthatpreventconflict
qThePrimaryRole:Decidingwhateachfounder’sprimaryroleintheorganisationwouldbeisanother structuralcornerstonetopreventconflict.
qThishelpsfounderscreateclearboundariesinoperations,givingonepersonthefinalsayinspecific matters.
qItalsohelpsbringtolighttheextenttowhicheachroleisorisnotanequitablecontributortowardsthe functioningoftheorganisation.
Pillar1–StructuralFoundation:Structuresthatpreventconflict
qThe“WeTime”:Justmakingapinkypromisetoalwaysbehonestandupfrontabouteverythingisnot enoughtosustainaco-founderrelationship.
qJustlikestructuralinterventionslikehavingglassdoors,oranunseparatedworkspacebetweenmanager andteamisrequiredtodrivehomethepointthatsynchronyiskeyforsuccess,founderstooneeda structuralcomponentlikeaweekly“Founder’sHour”specificallyinplacetotalkabouttheirrelationship.
qWasthereaconversationthatwenttoofar?Oranargumentthatstillbugsyou?Thisisyourchanceto bringitup,notbecauseyou’refreeorbecauseyourfounderseemsopentolistening,butbecausethisis whatthetaskofthemeetingis!
Pillar2:HonestCommunication
qMyGoalthroughmyOrganisation:Whyhaveyoustartedthisorganisation?No,notwhythere’saneed forthiscompanyinthemarket.
qWhyhaveyoudecidedtoinvestinyourbrainchildandwhatdoyouintendtopersonallyachievefrom thischapterofyourlife?Youandyourco-foundermaywantthesamethingsforthecompany,but differentthingsinyourlifebysteppingintothisendeavour.
qForinstance,oneco-foundermightwantthistobeherentrepreneurialdebutintothemarketandseea futuregrowthintomultiplemarketspheres,throughbranchingout,whileanotherco-foundermaysee thisaswayofreformingthemarketforthebetterandseejustthatasanendtoitself.
Pillar2:HonestCommunication
qIdrawmylinehere:Itisessentialtotalkaboutwhateachcofounderconsidersthefinallimit.
qOnemaybetooparticularabouttimeliness,otherregardingpresentationalskills,stillanotherabout socialmediapresence.
qUnderstandingwhatticksyourco-foundersisinformationwhichwillhelpyoupreventsomearguments andunderstandyourco-foundersduringothers.
Pillar2:HonestCommunication
qMyvaluesv/sOrganisation’svalues:Itisnowawell-knownorganisationalpracticetodecidethecore valuesoforganisation.
qIthoweverisalsoimportanttoknowwhereyourpersonalvaluesstandwithrespecttothe organisationalvalues.
qEachfounderreflectinginthisdomainwouldhelpforeseeproblematicareas,whereinone’svaluesmay beinconflicttheorganisationalvalues.
qItcanserveasapreventivereminderandalsohelpindevelopingsomemitigationmeasures
Pillar3:HealthyBoundaries
qYourCo-founderisNOTyourfriend,butyourfriend*(*conditionsapply):Onceyouenteraprofessional relationshipwithsomeone,nomatterhowlongyou’veknownthesaidpersonandwhetherornot you’vesharedafriendlyrelationshipwiththem,thingswillbedifferentnow.
qFriendshipisarelationshipdependentuponcomfort.Friendshelpyoufeelbetterwhenyouarelow,get awayfromyourCofounderProblemswhereyouneedabreatherandmostofall,friendsaretheones youruntowhenyouwanttoventaboutanannoyingco-worker!
qOnceyoumakethedecisiontogetinaprofessionalrelationshipwithsomeone,it’sbedrockprinciples–givinghonestfeedback,holdingyourcolleaguesaccountableandexpectingperformancefromthem–arealltheexactoppositeofacomfortablerelationship.
Pillar3:HealthyBoundaries
qEvenonagoodday,co-foundersmayenduphavingconfrontationalinteractions.Expectingthefreedoms offriendshipinacofounderrelationshipcanoftencometobiteoneback.
qThereareboundariesyouneedtomaintainwithyourfriend*now.
qWhileyoucan’tbetwodifferentpeopleintheofficeascolleaguesandoutsideasfriends,the conversationsyouhaveasprofessionalsshouldbelimitedbywhethertheyareNecessary,Professional(a goodrealitycheckistoreflectwhetheryouwouldusethesamewords,toneandvolumewithothercoworkers?)andConstructive.Wanttoshareyouropinionswithyourpartner?
Pillar3:HealthyBoundaries
qIsitnecessaryforyourorganisation?Isitprofessional?Isitconstructive–willitberequiredforyour company’sgrowth?
qIftheanswertoanyoftheseis“no”,thenmaybeyouneedtotalktosomeoneotherthanyourfriend*.
Maintainingtheseboundarieshelpsmakesurethattheco-founderrelationshipdoesn’thaveabacklog
emotionalhurtbutalsomakessurethatyou’renotexpectingtoomuchfromyourco-founder–they nowhaveadualrole,tobeyourfriendandyourco-founder.
qTheformermayenduptakingthebackseatwithinthewallsoftheofficeandnotonlythat,itmayalso benecessaryforyourorganisationthattheydoso!
Feelinglikethingsareoutofcontrol?Yourco-founderandyoucan’tseeeye toeyeregardinganything?Thesearethesignstoknowwhenyour relationshipwithyourco-founderissouringbeyondcontrol.Contactus here,ifyou’relookingtoresolvecofounderconflict.
Haveatete-a-tetewith ourcoach!
Coffeeonus.Promise.
Interestedinknowing moreaboutus?
Co-founderRelationshipisapart ofFounder’sNest–thespaceforfounderstofind theirfooting!
