I see this come up a lot with Co-Founders. Because of course money is important, but we often don’t understand just how important it is until it’s tested.

The role money plays evolves as the business progresses. In the early days, when the thrill of the adventure is your main source of fuel, you have to value other wins because the money isn’t coming in. But as it builds, the team expands, and pressure mounts; the role money plays can become more consuming.

Have you and your Co-Founder ever agreed success metrics beyond finances? As you’re experiencing, money fluctuates and it’s not something you can always control. So creating a standardised, more holistic success framework holds us accountable to seeing the bigger picture, but it often slips down the priorities.

Are you clear on how else you want to measure success and how can you track that? Perhaps go back to your core ‘why’ of staring this business, how is that mission being served?

You could include things like team satisfaction, new clients, marketing performance; the list goes on. But make sure you have ideas to share with your Co-Founder. Don’t simply flag that measuring money alone feels frustrating for you without coming with other thoughts.

Have you had a conversation about your individual money mindsets? This is a chunky topic! But have you asked your partner WHY the money is so important? What does that money mean to them? What previous financial experiences are impacting their response here? Think about your answer to these questions too.

In regards to your team. Hopefully discussing the above with your Co-Founder broadens your collective perspective and creates a more inclusive system of success metrics, but it’s important to see your responsibility here too.

Just because your partner doesn’t yet see the other successes doesn’t mean you can’t champion them. What have you done to highlight the other wins? Have you openly celebrated them? Have you asked the team what their highlights are? 

The best thing about being a Co-Founder is also the main challenge; that there’s more than one opinion. You can’t control your partner’s thoughts or emotions, but you can control how you respond. See this as a chance to level-up your partnership by strengthening your communication, evolving your metrics and connecting with your team.