
Ask HN: I constantly have to push/nag my cofounder to work. What should I do? - throw03172019
Hi HN readers,<p>I co-founded a startup with a Surgeon a few years ago.<p>Me: technical cofounder
Surgeon: domain expert and desire to help sell the product<p>We started this as a side project so we landed on 50&#x2F;50 equity split. Fast forward 2 months and I decided to go full time since it had some legs.<p>I struggle to work with him because I pour my heart and soul into the company while he seems like a consultant. I always have to give him tasks and constantly remind (nag) him of them.<p>Typical flow would go like this:<p>Him: “I’ll get it done tonight”
(radio silence)
Me: check-in
Him: “(insert random excuse)”
(completes task 1-7 days later. Most of the time it is half assed and rushed)<p>He just seems to prioritize everything over the company. He offered to quit his job and work full time if we raise $1M and pay him $500k&#x2F;yr and offered me the same salary. I quickly rejected this because that’s not how this world works.<p>We had a long talk early this year where I laid out all of my issues and concerns. He decided to show his commitment by taking 1 day off of work to help sell the new software and work on product development. He immediately asked for the same salary as me, (60k) and I explained to him 1 day does not equal 5-7 days. We settled on $1k&#x2F;mo for him.<p>Week 1: 10 phone calls. Sent 12 emails to hot leads. 
Week 2: 1 webinar. 6 phone calls. 12 emails. 
Week 4: he was back at work 5 days a week and never told me.<p>Definitely doesn’t seem like a great use of 8 hour days. Fast forward to today, still painful, his word means nothing to me, deadlines skipped, etc.<p>After talking to a few friends, here are some options:<p>1. Threaten to leave
2. Use our users&#x2F;investors (surgeons) as the domain experts and ignore him. 
3. Shutdown the company and start a competing company<p>(Currently, he is our “CEO” which is funny considering he is not even part-time)<p>Thanks HN!
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saluki
Sounds like he's making too much money as a surgeon so there isn't a need for
him to focus on the startup.

One thought is he could invest money in to the company instead of working on
it to retain his 50% equity. So he could be the CEO, provide direction/advice
but instead of hustling sales calls and demos he funds the company ($60k per
year) to pay someone to do that.

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mchannon
1\. Threaten to leave: Don't bother. Won't change anything, and will put you
in a position where he calls your bluff, and you end up in the same position
but with a time factor, coming off as mercurial, melodramatic, and weak.

2\. Use your users/investors: Probably should be doing this already.

3\. Shutdown the company and start a competing company: Hard to see the
downside to this approach given what you've told us.

Have you raised money? Do you have registered IP or IP agreements? Are you an
LLC, C-Corp, or non-entity? Need to know these things to provide the best
advice.

If a shutdown-today, reopen-tomorrow approach is non workable, consider a
"soft landing" where you arrange for a "new company" (which you control) to
exclusively license your existing entity's IP at a pittance (or a convoluted
formula that ends up becoming a pittance). The other guy still owns 50% of
something, sees his fortune as existing shareholder is the same as yours, so
he's happy and has no reason to fight with you.

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temporary29488
And this is why I alway say choose your cofounder carefully. It is better to
do it alone than have a bad cofounder. A good cofounder is best but you can
force that.

I have seen this multiple times. This isn’t going to work out. If he like this
idea, suggest to him that he be a seed investor and not a cofounder. Explain
to him that no one would invest in a startup with a cofounder that isn’t there
most of the time. If you haven’t signed any papers, then you don’t owe him
anything. Start recording how often he is at the office.

He is a classic case of I will do it if there is money. He is using you as a
call option. If it makes money, he goes full time. If not, well, he has
nothing to lose. I mean he still has his job. It’s a good bet for him. Not so
much for you.

If he won’t leave and your shares are not vested, then you are going to have a
hard time getting rid of him. Next time, be smarter.

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sparkling
> He just seems to prioritize everything over the company. He offered to quit
> his job and work full time if we raise $1M and pay him $500k/yr and offered
> me the same salary. I quickly rejected this because that’s not how this
> world works.

Clearly you and him have very differente expectations.

Options 1, 2 and 3 all have the risk of you being sued by him sooner or later
over IP issues. You need to get rid of him and that may cost you.

~~~
chungleong
I agree that 1, 2, and 3 are poor options. If the OP believes he's in the
right--that is, his expectations are the reasonable ones--then he should sue
his partner for breach of contract. The goal is to force a settlement where
the partner's share in the company is proportional to his actual contribution.

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jf22
Try having a heart to heart about the problem first and see what he's willing
to commit to increasing his effort.

If not, float the idea of reducing his equity.

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FlopV
Is it possible to bring someone else on for lead gen?

