The Co-Founder Relationship
> Founder conflict is pervasive in startup land but is not discussed very often.<p>All the options discussed in the article are last resort. I'd love to see some more coaching about what the causes are, how to identify it early, and how to handle it <i>before</i> it's a real problem.<p>My experience as a co-founder is that very minor differences in personal agendas between two people can turn into large problems later, even when the two co-founders are respectful, honest, diplomatic, and willing to compromise.<p>I'm sure it's a lot like bands, how the majority of them break up over "artistic differences". Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they're doing, and they line up exactly with other people's reasons almost never.<p>I'd love to hear about how to identify misalignments early, because I've tried and I find it <i>very</i> difficult. Everyone's excited early on and trying to avoid conflict, myself included. I'd love to hear about what to do about it when misalignment is discovered, it's not obvious that there's a solution -- I can't change the reasons I joined a band or launched into a startup, I can't expect someone else to modify their hopes and dreams just because mine aren't the same.