So I am getting ready to submit my LLC forms because I want
to get my kick-starter going. This got me thinking about my partnership and my
partnerships in the past.
I have tried to start a company with friends before. It didn’t
work. Everyone wanted different things because they were in different life
stages. The result? We are not friends anymore and the business never made it
off the ground.
Now I am in a similar position. My friend and I have a very
real passion for coffee and operations. It is not a perfect partnership, but it
is good. We balance each other. He is an idealist and I am a realist (borderline
pessimist). We have worked together to come up with some great ideas and
concepts.
My friend is applying for a new position within our day job.
This position will take over his life. If he gets that job, that will be his
profession. There will not be time for the grind work that goes into starting a
business. This means I will be doing the grinding (haha, accidental coffee pun).
If that is the case, then is it really an equal partnership? Yeah, he has great
ideas and some of what I would do came from him. However, I am not starting my
own business to just be someone else’s grunt, ya know?
I know the solution is to talk to him. My worry is that I will
sound like I’m trying to take it all and will end up losing another friend (of
which I have very few now). Yes, I know I am worrying about the worst-case
scenario, but that seems to be what my history has taught me. It seems like it
hits the fan once people start talking about ownership. Someone always gets
hurt.
I’m going to talk to him and pray that it works itself out
without someone getting hurt.
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