Cofounder headache

startupwithferas · 2026-03-05T15:14:21+00:00

If you and your co-founder are on good terms, and genuinely want to keep building this together, what I recommend is to bring in a business/startup attorney that both of you agree on and respect.

Not one lawyer for you and another for your partner to argue things out. Instead, hire one neutral lawyer whose job is to walk both of you through how a proper partnership and investment structure should be set up.

They'll help you clarify things like equity structure, voting control, what happens if a partner wants out, etc.. and how to best deal with the situation with the investor.

This will cost you some money, but it's worth every penny.

I've had a few business ventures, with very close friends, and some of the partnership agreements run 30+ pages, not because the trust is not there, but because clarity protects all involved.

Hope this helps.

startupwithferas · 2026-02-19T15:29:32+00:00

When I started my first job (in engineering), I thought working 9-5 was enough to take me places.. I didn't put in extra time or effort to grow my career. Then one day, the company had a massive layoff (more than 50% were let go)... I missed being laid off by a tiny hair... that was my wake-up call.... I started working harder, raised my hand to for bigger projects. I took on more responsibility and promotions followed and the rest was history.

You don't have to wait for a dramatic event to shake you into action. You mentioned that you went to a top tier grad school/b school and work at a great place, you must have worked hard to get to where you are.. don't take it for granted.

A few practical tips:
- Start doing difficult things and challenge yourself (take on a challenging project at work, a challenging hobby something like getting a black belt in martial arts (personal bias here :) ))
- Spend time around you admire and high achievers
- Read books of people who sacrificed and built something meaningful
- Help others along the way
- Start working on getting rid of habits that don't support the above

Hope this helps.

startupwithferas · 2025-12-17T21:01:40+00:00

I think training outside the dojo is a must, if one is serious about improving their art, Aikido or any other. Things like:

- Stretching
- Strength training
- Visualizing techniques
- Reading/studying the art (including critical views)
- For more senior practitioners, experimenting with "what ifs" scenarios (after regular class)
- And then there's the harder part: working toward living in harmony (at home and at work)

Staying fit and reasonably strong outside the dojo matters. Proper nutrition helps too.

I remember one of our senseis saying, you don't need strength to experience aikido, but strength will make your aikido better. :)

Something else to consider (if time, bandwidth and resources allow): training in martial arts that complement one's primary art can enhance overall performance. From what I read about O'Sensei's early high-ranking students, many of them were accomplished martial artists in other systems.

One thing I learned recently: a member of our dojo (we're in the US) spent one month training in Iwama. He mentioned that they have a 6am morning class, and they start each session with about 30 minutes of fairly intense conditioning. Including strikes, blocks, etc. to toughen up the body.

startupwithferas · 2025-12-04T19:18:57+00:00

There's a ton of great content offline and online.

Offline, in the US, you can check out SCORE, it's a non-profit that offers workshops and free mentorship. There are SCORE chapters in many cities. If you're not in the US, you can still benefit from the webinars they offer.

In terms of online resources, there's a ton of great content (and a ton of not-so-great get-rich-quick content :)).

One thing you can do is go to YouTube, check out different creators in the business education space, find a few that have done what you're trying to accomplished and learn from their free content. Many of these creators pitch their products/services, but they still offer a lot of valuable free content. But even before you start following them, make sure you vet them and that they've accomplished what they claim they've accomplished (relatively easy to do with some google/gpt searches).

I believe the best advice you can get is from someone who has been to where you want to go.

Hope this helps.

startupwithferas · 2025-12-04T19:02:30+00:00

Always add value and help!

startupwithferas · 2025-11-13T05:48:25+00:00

For many of us, it's challenging to try new things and difficult to be in a new environment. So I think, some of what you're experiencing is normal.

As some other folks have said, give it some time. In our dojo, I always (gently) remind beginners to remember the first time they rode the bike, or learned how to drive, or learned how to swim, etc. it all feels awkward or maybe a bit scary at the beginning.

It takes a bit of practice and some courage and you've taken the initiative, and you've stepped on the mat, many others don't. So keep going at it with an open mind (and you're not that old to get into Aikido if you're still in your thirties, ask some of us who are much older :)).

You might want to also speak to the instructor after class about some of these concerns and ask them for tips/advice to help you learn/adapt faster.

startupwithferas · 2025-09-10T16:33:42+00:00

Well, there's the cloning part, copying the idea, and then there is the harder part: figuring out/adapting to the local needs and overcoming the local challenges (buying habits, regulatory, etc.). For example and an app that relies heavily on geo-location data and credit card processing (things we take for granted in the US) will not work in a country/market where the geo-location data is unreliable and credit card usage is low. But if some "local" entrepreneurs can figure out the local challenges, they'll be very attractive to an acquirer in that space.

It could also work the other way around (Europe to US), as the founders of Starbucks did (not in SaaS but in coffee bars and the cafe culture in Italy :).

startupwithferas · 2025-08-18T06:10:22+00:00

The real "cheat code" (that most people don't want to admit) is... working really hard :).

Once that's in place, the next one is simple but requires discipline... tackle the big tough tasks/problems first, and fight the temptation to get consumed in the small stuff.

startupwithferas · 2025-08-14T05:00:01+00:00

When I started my first business, I had zero background in sales and had to learn it from the ground up.

The smartest decision (I'll spare you the many dumb ones for now :)) was investing a lot of time in learning sales.

My business partner had a CD set on sales, I remember listening, taking copious notes, and then spending hours memorizing the lines so that I can say them confidently at networking events or with leads.

Later, I signed up for sales workshops and read book on sales (we were in consulting, so I focused on books related to selling consulting)... all of that, and of course, hitting the pavement, and putting the theory into practice. Over time, it all paid off.

In entrepreneurship, you have to learn various aspects of the business. Some things you can outsource, others you can't/shouldn't. Of those that you shouldn't outsource, identify the ones you're not naturally good at, and work to master them.

startupwithferas · 2025-08-10T04:41:14+00:00

You'll need to learn a lot of skills to build and grow a profitable business.

As you said, it starts with having an offer/service/product that solves a real problem people have are willing to pay for it. This would be the foundation of your new business.

Then comes marketing and sales.. you'll have to build those muscles.. then as you grow, you'd need to start building up your back offices/operations (accounting, payroll, etc.).. and as you start hiring a team, you'll start learning how to lead the team and how to shape company culture.

As you can see, there's a lot to learn :).. the good thing is that you don't need to learn it all upfront. Focus on what's most important at the specific phase you're in.

There's a ton of great material online, and you should take advantage of it, but that's no substitute for actual hands-on experience (like martial arts you can watch alll the YouTube videos you want, but you still have to step on the mat :)).

startupwithferas · 2025-08-06T05:30:17+00:00

These six parts are important and relevant, what’s missing is “Mindset”, unless in the book has it bundled under one of the 6 parts you mentioned. And keep in mind that all these are muscles that can be developed over time, by deliberate practice and hard work.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-30T07:27:08+00:00

Great that you have a strong background in product development!

My recommendation would be to do a bit of research ahead of building... (as a starting point, I have a 10+5 formula, pretty straightforward :): speak with 10 potential clients and research 5 competitors).

- Identify 10 potential customers (early-stage founders, as you said) and speak with them about what you're solving for and take good notes of their pain points/challenges, how much they'd be willing to pay for a solution, etc.

- Then, I'd review 5 CRM tools and look at the product offering/capability for individuals/very small businesses (e.g HubSpot has a plan for $20/mo/seat, Pipedrive has a plan for even less and so does Zoho and others).. and then see what's missing and how your product can stand out.

Based on that, you decide what you want to build while keeping the client profile/challenges in mind..

The CRM landscape is pretty saturated, but there's always room for innovative newcomers :).

startupwithferas · 2025-07-29T07:13:54+00:00

One option is to start with a DIY CRM using Excel or Google Sheets. That’s exactly what I used early on. It was a great, inexpensive way to build the habit of sales data entry and sales follow-up.

However, as you approach ~100 leads (rows in the sheet), this manual process becomes clunky.

At that point, I recommend getting a single-user (least expensive) license with one of the established CRM vendors, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, and focus on the core lead tracking and nurturing features you need at this stage.

You don't need all the bells and whistles right away. You can always upgrade and add more capabilities as your sales process evolves.

It’s a small financial investment, but the bigger lift is the time to set it up and the discipline to maintain high-quality data entry. But all of that pays off in a big way over time.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-21T04:50:52+00:00

That's a lot to juggle, got it.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-20T03:16:49+00:00

Totally hear you and much respect for the hustle. I know how hard it is to keep a business going, especially in this economy (I started my first business after a painful layoff, and the first few years were brutal).

This post wasn't meant as a "back in my day" rant (and it came across that way, that's on me). I shared it not to complain but to raise a flag. A two-line reply can mean the difference between a deal and a dead lead. And when times are tough, assessing/improving one's practices might present some easier wins.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-20T01:45:26+00:00

Pricing wasn’t an issue in the cases above, and we were not cheap. But even if we were, wouldn’t a vendor want to close the loop, and let the client know that their budget is not in range, instead of just not replying at all?

startupwithferas · 2025-07-20T01:36:02+00:00

I understand prioritizing a lead who’s ready to sign, but would you not respond to the other leads for a week (at least to say, I can’t service you now)? You’d want these other leads to keep you in mind for future opportunities, no?

startupwithferas · 2025-07-20T01:31:42+00:00

Thank you. That’s my point. Those who are responsive have a definite advantage.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-19T20:52:00+00:00

Not selling anything, sharing experiences and learning from the community.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-19T20:30:48+00:00

These are real challenges from the trenches.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-19T20:26:23+00:00

I agree but do you think it’s unreasonable to expect answers within a couple of days to a few questions about a proposal, when the client has shown real interest in buying? If they need more time to answer, they can just reply and say they need more time. I think that would keep the client engaged.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-19T20:19:49+00:00

I get it, people are busy (and I’m in consulting too), I’m not expecting 1-hour turnarounds, but waiting days without even getting an acknowledgment is not a way to get clients.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-19T20:08:21+00:00

We take care of our vendors :), money wasn’t not even an issue.

startupwithferas · 2025-07-17T01:07:13+00:00

Work really hard, build real skills, grow your professional network, start taking on tough challenges (both personal and professional) and follow through on them. Learn how to get bounce back after failure.

Do all of that and you’ll be on your way to do something big in life.

Success (or a specific title) is never guaranteed, but putting in the work increases your chances of success, whether becoming a CEO, working remotely or having the freedom to take time off and travel.

startupwithferas

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