One co-founder is challenging the other's authority. How will you restore balance in your startup?

To restore balance in your startup amid co-founder challenges, Start by clearly defining each person’s roles and responsibilities. Encourage open communication to resolve any misunderstandings and consider using a neutral third party if needed. Establish a clear decision-making process and focus on the company’s goals to keep everyone aligned. Regularly check in to ensure everyone remains on track and committed to the startup’s success.

The importance of objectivity, listening without bias, and recognizing the evolving nature of roles within a startup. Identifying deeper issues and addressing core problems ensures a more sustainable resolution.

In a startup I coached, there was a situation where one co-founder was questioning the other's authority. To fix things, I told them to step back and look at the situation objectively. They needed to listen to each other's concerns without any bias and figure out why they were clashing. We found out that the issue was partly because their roles and responsibilities were getting blurry as the startup grew. We had some open talks to redefine what each co-founder should focus on based on their strengths and what the startup needed. This helped them clear up misunderstandings and get back on track with a shared vision for where they wanted the startup to go.

> Hold a facilitated meeting with both co-founders. > A neutral third party can guide a discussion to identify the root of the power struggle and establish clear roles and decision-making processes. > Revisit the co-founders' strengths and assign leadership for specific areas. This creates ownership while fostering collaboration. > Realign on the startup's vision and goals. > Transparency in financials, strategy, and decision making builds trust and a sense of shared purpose.

🌟 Assess Strengths: Identify each team member's strengths and areas for improvement. This helps in assigning tasks that match their skills and fosters a sense of accomplishment. 🗣️ Encourage Input: Create an environment where junior members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. This builds their confidence and shows that their contributions are valued. 🎯 Set Clear Goals: Clearly define goals and expectations. This provides direction and helps team members understand how their work contributes to the overall project. 📈 Provide Feedback: Offer constructive feedback regularly. Highlight their successes and provide guidance on areas needing improvement, which helps in their professional growth.

It is important and very risky by the way. You should stand objective when you evaluate their behaviors. Then you can create open dialogue with them. You shouldn’t seen as self seeker like get advantages from their new relationship.

Regular open dialogue is the best way to prevent issues from occurring in the first place. Be clear in your communication, allow all Founders to have their input into discussions (where relevant), and then make sure any decision is clearly communicated to the team. Don't leave room for ambiguity.

In a startup I coached, revisiting the original vision and mission was refreshing. It reminded the co-founders why they started this journey together. Sometimes, when founders work hard and focus on fixing problems, they can drift away from their initial vision. People's priorities may also change due to factors outside the startup, like family, health, or relationships. Occasionally reflecting on a shared vision is therefore very helpful.

Revisit Vision 🌟: Align on your startup's original mission to remind both co-founders of shared goals. Define Roles Clearly 📋: Establish distinct responsibilities to leverage each co-founder’s strengths. Facilitate Open Dialogue 🗣️: Encourage honest conversations to address and resolve underlying issues. Monitor Progress Regularly 📈: Schedule regular check-ins to ensure harmony and adjust as needed.

Reminding yourself why you started is a great way to motivate yourself to continue in the same direction. More often than not the initial motivation and core reason for starting with your partner might become blurry and this can lead to conflicts, because each side will want his current needs to be met, when in a startup the only needs that should be met are the ones of the startup. PS: If the consequences for one or both co-founders are too big in order to meet the needs of the startup, then my question will be, is it worth it?

In a tech startup I consulted, co-founders Alex & Jamie, both with tech backgrounds, were at odds, with Alex challenging Jamie’s authority, especially regarding investor relations and product features. Jamie had excellency in connecting with people & marketing, while Alex had deep tech-knowledge. To resolve this, we had to redefined their roles. Alex became the CTO, overseeing product development, and Jamie became the COO, handling business strategy and investor relations. The impact was immediate. With clearly defined roles, Alex and Jamie were able to focus on their areas of expertise without stepping on each other’s toes. The team felt a renewed sense of direction and purpose, which was reflected in increased productivity and morale.

After each side has communicated its needs and the other sides has understood them, it is time to redefine the roles in a way that both parties agree and doesn't lead to a future conflict. If I have to make an example with world history, the reason WW2 existed, was because WW1 ended too harsh and unfair. After you made "peace" with your co-founder you want to stop at WW1 and avoid a following conflict, by being fair and considerate of the other party.

I remember a startup when roles weren't clearly defined. This caused confusion, especially for clients. I recall one incident: a client asked who they should coordinate with for project delivery, and both founders gave conflicting answers. After a long meeting, it was decided that one founder would handle client management, while the other focused on web development. Despite their agreement, one founder eventually left, feeling dissatisfied with his role. That's just how things go sometimes.

Clarify Roles 🗂️: Clearly define each co-founder’s roles and responsibilities to avoid overlap and confusion. Mediation Session 🧘: Hold a mediation session to address issues openly and find common ground. Reinforce Decisions 💼: Communicate changes to the team and ensure everyone understands the new structure. Monitor Progress 📊: Regularly check in to ensure the new roles are respected and effective.

It's important to implement these changes quickly. This creates clarity for the outside (such as clients) but also internally (between colleagues). Sometimes, it's helpful to send an email to everyone involved in the startup to clarify these roles. Communication is important during these changes.

Define Clear Roles 🗂️: Establish distinct roles and responsibilities for each co-founder to minimize overlap and confusion. Open Communication 🗣️: Facilitate honest discussions to address issues and find mutually agreeable solutions. Implement Changes 🚀: Quickly implement new roles and update job descriptions to reflect the leadership structure. Monitor and Adjust 📊: Regular check-ins to ensure the changes are working and celebrate successes to reinforce positive collaboration.

Monitoring progress equals communication between founders. A startup is like a marriage (well, sort of...). All founders should be able to express issues to each other that could negatively impact their company. Having a weekly reflection helps. If there's a conflict between founders and they can't communicate for whatever reason, it's useful to bring in a trusted third party who can help resolve the conflict. It's important that all founders trust this person, or else they will be very skeptical, which could lead to failure.

No relationship is easy. A healthy company appears as a united front, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t disagreements or differences of opinion behind the scenes. How people react to and overcome such moments is ultimately of most importance. In my experience, the best way for co-founders to settle any challenge to their authority is through the ancient practice of pit-fighting. The squabbling partners are given a choice of weapons to use such as, but not limited to, sword, axe, spear, trident, morning star, bagpipes, fountain pen, or trebuchet. Then the two sort things out in a comfortably-sized pit for as long as it takes. Voilà, problem solved!

This is the type of situation you don't want to experience. Which is why it's important to define the roles at the beginning in a social contract or a co-founders' contract when things are still calm.

Sometimes, it's better if founders go their separate ways. I've coached startups where there was a clear breach of trust among founders. If they're not aligned, the startup dissolves. However, sometimes it works out very well. Founders can be well-aligned, and frictions hardly occur. I think the most crucial aspect of running a startup with co-founders is trust in each other. It's the foundation for everything else. Another tip is not to rush into a startup with someone. Get to know that person first: do your values align? Do you share the same vision and goals?