When co-founders cannot have honest disagreements and have not had a real conversation in a long time, there might come a time when a breakup is inevitable. The CEO's job is now not how to repair the relationship but how to separate most effectively and least destructively. It is best not to have a 50/50 deadlock. It might be reasonable for the CEO to have an extra share in the event of a 50-50 deadlock.

Breaking up can become inevitable

It's vital to keep decisions in writing as we seldom remember things the way they went down. It could be tough to handle disagreements or wrong actions after the fact if you did not write it down. It's clumsy to talk about, for example, who gets what percentage of the company.

Not writing things down

Adding co-founders later on can cause them to think that it's not their company. However, doing things together in the earliest stages will help people step up when they go through hard times. Figure out the co-founder first before you raise money or come up with the next idea, then you can truly have collective ownership as you do things together.

Reducing co-founder mistakes

Every relationship has ebbs and flows. When you disagree, you don't have to come to a resolution. Instead, you can pause for a while. Understand how your co-founder deals with stress. Some people deal with stress by striking out, and some by retreating. If you understand your co-founder, you can better interpret what they're doing.

Take arguments with your co-founder seriously

Whatever skills a co-founder has when they join the company are not the only skills they'll ever have. You learn also everything on the job, so it's better to work with someone you know and like and learn together than someone you don't know.

Looking for founders with a skill match

In the first episode of Rookie Mistakes, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss co-founder mistakes. To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back? https://twitter.com/daltonc https://twitter.com/mwseibel

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In the first episode of Rookie Mistakes, Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel discuss co-founder mistakes.

To create Rookies Mistakes we asked YC founders: Is there a simple fact you wish you knew when you started your company or a rookie mistake you wish you could take back?

https://twitter.com/daltonc
https://twitter.com/mwseibel

Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) - 
00:00 - Rookie Mistakes
00:15 - Note from YC founder
00:32 - Write it down
00:49 - Biggest error - Founders looking for someone with a skill match
01:57 - Note from YC founder
02:05 - Co founder disputes
02:05 - Arguments
02:33 - 1. Pause (Don't have to keep the fight going)
02:45 - 2. Stress (How your co-founder deals with it)
03:03 - Note from YC founder
03:20 - Avoidance
05:01 - How should the CEO set up a company?
05:49 - Tactical tips for folks looking for co-founders?
06:12 - 1. Team first
06:58 - 2. Co-founders are a superpower
08:10 - Recommendations recap

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Reducing co-founder mistakes

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