Hi team.

Co-founders | Co-CEOs

Turn Conflict into Collaboration

“65% of high-potential startups fail due to conflict among co-founders.”

~Harvard Business School professor Noam Wasserman

Stop letting your saboteurs and personal battles put your business at risk. Navigate conflict, rebuild trust, and grow powerfully into your partnership as you build your company together.

Do any of these sound familiar?

  • Are co-founder conversations introducing/increasing risk to your business?

  • Are you regularly walking on eggshells around your cofounder?

  • Dreading another tense meeting together where you end up back at square one?

  • Is your team feeling the dysfunction and losing faith in your leadership?

  • Are you seen as the enemy by your co-founder(s) or vice versa?

Co-founder conflict is responsible for 65% of startup failures*

When the relationship that you envisioned would be the driving force of your business growth becomes a constant struggle, the ripple effects can be devastating to your team’s ability to perform. Everything you have worked so hard for can be negatively impacted, putting your company and your health at risk.

*Noam Wasserman, HBR, Dec 2022

“SK is a truly transformational coach: she combines deep operational and leadership experience with an empathy and listening skill that help you get to the bottom of any question. As a founder, it is truly a huge asset, as it will help you explore the big questions of your founder and startup journey with accountability and empathy. I am deeply grateful to count on her support and insight as we continue our journey!”

~Alberto Arenaza, Co-Founder of Transcend Fund

“SK supported myself and my co-founder during a fundamental year to approach partnership in our work with an everflowing abundant lens. Things manifested quickly after just our 1st 80 minute kick-off session together. Through my work with SK, I am now able to enter 2025 with the following across all teams and team members. Very grateful for this time together!”

~Michael Narea, Co-Founder of Transcend Fund

5 STEPS TO TURN YOUR CO-FOUNDER FRICTION INTO A FORCE FOR GROWTH

1. Individual Leadership Diagnostics
90-min Intake interview, Saboteurs Quiz, Emotional Agility Report, Peak Experiences, Motivators and Values.

2. Co-founder Partnership Assessment
Identify communication styles, incentives, and mutual goals to address. Illuminate difficult topics around roles, contribution, and money.

3. Personalized 1:1 Coaching
Process the partnership and overall company dynamics with individual coaching session. Dive into and make progress on your part of the partnership.

4. Co-founder Team Coaching Session
i. Identify your co-founder patterns of conflict and cycle of relating.
ii. Listen deeply to understand what it is really like for your co-founder to work with you.
iii. (Re)Build the relationship, trust, and disrupt unhealthy patterns of working.
iv. Replace unhelpful patterns with healthy, agreed upon alternatives.
v. Articulate changes to you co-founder dynamics.

5. Integrate & Celebrate
Integrate learnings and insights into workplace culture and organization processes such as weekly meetings. Create and stick to regular co-founder check points to proactively listen to each other. Celebrate new and deeper understanding on a consistent basis.

Reflection questions to prepare for a Co-Founder Group Coaching Session

  • What are some key dynamics, events, or situations that brought us to the point of investing time and energy to improve this partnership?

  • How would you assess the level of stress in the relationship right now? The level of connection and alignment on the greater vision? The level of effectiveness within the organization?

  • If you were to gain one thing from this time together, what would that be?

  • Are there any key outcomes or decisions related to the company that need to be addressed?

RECRUITING A CO-FOUNDER FOR YOUR STARTUP

QUESTIONS TO ASK a potential Co-founder


INTERVIEW PROCESS for a potential Technical Co-founder

Target timeframe: 1-2 weeks

  1. Initial call (30 min) - Chat with Founder about the Company, your background, motivations, and potential fit

  2. Product exercise (30 min) - Write about how you'd approach a simple feature

  3. Behavioral skills (60 min) - Talk about your past working experience in detail with Founder

  4. Technical skills (60 min) - Do a practical exercise to evaluate your with Founder or Advisor

  5. Reference calls- Target 2-3 references including at least 1 manager and 1 direct report (if applicable)

  6. Paid contract work - Work on a small project together. You will experience what it’s like to work with us as we’re learning what it’s like to work with you (more on this approach).

  7. Full-time offer 🎉

“HIRE SLOW,
FIRE FAST.
(But do it Humanely)”
— Bhavin Parikh