The Road without a Co-Founder
Hello fellow soldiers! Today I want to talk about a problem that I have previously discussed a couple of days back. The problem I have had with my co-founder Chris. If you remember, I was really unsure of how to deal with what I am going to do as to the behaviour and fit of Chris in LinQfish. He has an incredible vision, really similar to and he seemed and was really enthusiastic about the project. However, slowly, weeks into the project his actions became rather |
less, preferred going to the gym over the project, would not contribute much effort after working hours to put into the project and started to do much more talking than acting. So I couldn’t do anything else but to make a choice here. If this relationship continued this way further on not only the business would suffer but more importantly our relationship.
Well I tell you what, having to discuss such a devastating topic is something you will find to be one of the hardest things you will ever encounter! It is like telling a good friend that you have known for years that you cannot longer be in a friendship. So imagine even starting such conversation?! So what did I do? I told him straight up that I cannot count him as my partner anymore simply due to the fact that I cannot see his involvement in this project anymore and that I fell influenced by him. BE UPFRONT!
Well I tell you what, having to discuss such a devastating topic is something you will find to be one of the hardest things you will ever encounter! It is like telling a good friend that you have known for years that you cannot longer be in a friendship. So imagine even starting such conversation?! So what did I do? I told him straight up that I cannot count him as my partner anymore simply due to the fact that I cannot see his involvement in this project anymore and that I fell influenced by him. BE UPFRONT!
How to take news like this as a Champ?
Now I ask you, how would you take this news of being dismissed of a partnership? Well although I don’t know your answer I BET you wouldn’t reply in the following manner:
He took the news like a champ and after a bit of talking he found out that he cannot connect with the project as much as me and can’t put 120% into it. Not only did he realise that, it also gave him the opportunity, right in that moment, to understand that he should go back at his original dream of creating a clothing brand. You want to know what really blew me away? After all this he thanked me for making this decision!!! What the hell??
Chris is like the most amazing person I have ever met when it comes to assessing a situation and dealing with it in a manner to see a lost opportunity or a loss in general as something like an opportunity! I swear I have never met someone so incredible!
So now Chris is working on his own clothing business idea and seems to have a much greater interest to put his time into creating his own clothing brand. Me? I am still working on my project and see where this new, now lonely, track will guide me. On the one hand you have a great risk here by having to do EVERYTHING by yourself but on the other I am hoping to gain the opportunity to find another co-founding partner or other interested people in the idea. Here the risks are foreseeable (which is not often the case) but the outcome not so much. It is all limited in your head and action what to make out of this situation! So let us see where this road will go, ARE YOU READY?
He took the news like a champ and after a bit of talking he found out that he cannot connect with the project as much as me and can’t put 120% into it. Not only did he realise that, it also gave him the opportunity, right in that moment, to understand that he should go back at his original dream of creating a clothing brand. You want to know what really blew me away? After all this he thanked me for making this decision!!! What the hell??
Chris is like the most amazing person I have ever met when it comes to assessing a situation and dealing with it in a manner to see a lost opportunity or a loss in general as something like an opportunity! I swear I have never met someone so incredible!
So now Chris is working on his own clothing business idea and seems to have a much greater interest to put his time into creating his own clothing brand. Me? I am still working on my project and see where this new, now lonely, track will guide me. On the one hand you have a great risk here by having to do EVERYTHING by yourself but on the other I am hoping to gain the opportunity to find another co-founding partner or other interested people in the idea. Here the risks are foreseeable (which is not often the case) but the outcome not so much. It is all limited in your head and action what to make out of this situation! So let us see where this road will go, ARE YOU READY?
The Lesson
So what message can I give you on your way today?
- Listen to your guts, if you have a bad feeling down there listen to it, it almost always is right!
- Make a decision and power through it. If you hurt a person with a news today or tomorrow doesn't matter, they will have to hear it anyway!
- PREPARE for the worst so and HOPE for the best. You never know how the other person reacts so be prepared for everything… So far it ALWAYS turned out much BETTER than expected!
- Everything that seems to be bad ALWAYS has something GOOD within, you just need to find it!