Delving into Co-Founder Relationships: Part #2

"I always ask myself," says Rotem,

"where does that entrepreneur allow himself to say all the things he wants to say and doesn't dare, because there are entrepreneurs who don't dare to say out loud the things they think."

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I (Gali) believe that just as each of us has our own business board of directors, we should also have a personal board of directors; it can be a professional - a coach/psychologist, an entrepreneur with whom I can be completely transparent, a mentor who is a few steps ahead of me that I can consult with, a friend, partner, child - people who are our safe place.  

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Inclusion from the environment can be not only through conversations and sharing, but also through receiving space when we are going through difficult days and don't want to externalize anger/frustration/sadness or any other feeling that overwhelms us.

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The importance of listening and asking

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"The ability to listen to a person until the end is one of the most difficult things for a person to do. As soon as someone says something that triggered me and pressed my button, I'm no longer listening - just thinking about what I'm going to answer, and I'm missing it. The ability to listen depends a lot on our ability to breathe."

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Rotem explains that at such moments, we can take a moment, understand that we are triggered by something, take a deep breath and continue listening until we are sure the other person has finished speaking - and only then respond. It works wonders. 

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In fact, 65% of startups disband due to unhealthy relationships between entrepreneurs. Working on the relationship between co-founders is not a luxury, it is crucial for startup success. It's hard for everyone.

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It is important that we find our way to express our feelings outwardly, and surround ourselves with people we feel safe doing it with. Don't embark on this journey alone. The entrepreneurial journey is an exciting and complex experience - and along with the amazing and powerful parts of it, it is also a very challenging personal and professional growth experience. Ask for and provide help.