Your second marriage
Whether you know it or not, you’re married to your business partner - and all the same shit applies (mostly). You may argue, a lot or not at all. Both are a problem. You butt heads on where you’re going. You’re successful financially, but interpersonally you’re exhausted. One of you criticizes, the other puts up a wall. One of you is passive aggressive in public, the other is on constant defense. All of this is really bad for your bottom line, and it sets a bad example for your team.
#1 Reason Businesses Fail
Did you know that two out of three startups fail due to interpersonal conflicts with the founding team? No matter how great the product, talent, marketing - if you and your partner are not aligned, bad news. And guess what, the conflicts follow the same patterns romantic ones do. You are likely having similar issues at home as you are at work. Are you aligned on where you’re going as a business? Do you engage in toxic relational behaviors that predict divorce with 91% accuracy: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling? Do you share fundamental values and do your actions align? Do you have principles of governance that everyone follows?