@coachcoale

One question I get a lot: Can you predict which founders will make it? Sometimes. But can you spot the ones who won’t? Often. One key indicator: How do they talk to each other when things get hard? I’m bullish on cofounders who can be direct without being destructive. Two traps to watch for: 1) Weaponized honesty – using the truth to wound. 2) Toxic harmony – avoiding the truth to keep the peace. Want to get better at this? Share this post with your cofounder. Then run a simple Retro. No fancy assessment tool necessary. Say: “Hey… how do you think we’re doing here? 1) What’s working in our communication? 2) What could be better? 3) What have we learned after _____ months/years of working together? 4) Anything we’d like to do differently?” Oh—and one more thing: Set a date on your calendar to revisit these questions next quarter. Don’t reschedule it—even if you think there’s nothing to talk about. It’s a great day to be coachable.

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