LPT: Refrain from starting a business with a close friend. If the business successfully grows, you stand the chance of losing a friend and gaining a coworker.

Submitted by Jeterea t3_yhe4t5 in LifeProTips

Experienced this firsthand with a once very close childhood friend. Before we got into business together we were actually friends. We went out to clubs, football games, basketball games, double dates to winery's with our partners, all that stuff. We just always had a good time kicking it. We had a great idea back in 2016 and shot the gun on it. Long story short, in 2019 our marketing specifically on TikTok helped skyrocket our business.

Consequentially, our business demanded much more from us now due to the growth. These days my friend and I rarely go out places anymore. We workout together that's about it. Everything else is business and transactional these days. And honestly sometimes I just miss having a mate. Just something to keep in mind for those considering going into business with a friend or even family member.

Good luck!

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mulmtier t1_iud8o03 wrote

I don't think you lost your friend. It sounds to me that both of you got lost in work.

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DigitalSteven1 t1_iuf6r1s wrote

Bad work/life balance. Though if you're doing a start up, it may not be possible to have good work/life balance.

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Seatbelt1 t1_iudyyip wrote

I bet if the two of you started separate businesses that took up all of your time you wouldn't have gone to chill and hang out together either. Sometimes when you focus on career you lose touch with your friends.

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helava t1_iufteec wrote

Sorry to hear that your friendship is now second to your business. But that’s not the worst way it could go. I had a college housemate who I started a company with. He was awful to work with. I turned the company into a huge financial success, and then he stabbed me in the back and robbed me of it. I hope he dies alone and forgotten. But he won’t, because the guy who asked him to stab me in the back for him is super rich, and they’re all set for life. Bad people win sometimes, and there’s just not a damn thing you can do about it.

I wondered for a long time how a friend could do that to someone. Not just me - to anyone. But the right way to look at it isn’t that I should be angry that a friend stabbed me in the back. The right way to look at it is to be sad that someone I thought was a friend never really was.

I hope your relationship turns out better than mine did. Sounds like you’re on stronger footing.

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Isthatyourfinger t1_iuez56w wrote

Never hire anyone, friends and especially family, that you can't fire.

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keepthetips t1_iud7uky wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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ricardo9505 t1_iudf7cx wrote

Age old tale. Wanna separate two friends, out .oney between them. Like lending friends money, business. I've seen this firsthand in business with family that went into business with friends.

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oczkosc t1_iuetg42 wrote

Yeah, atleast you didnt lose your business. I've lost both. Never again

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netscapexplorer t1_iugidgg wrote

What kind of business did you start together? If you're making good money from it, it may be worth tolerating for a few more years until you're set, then you and your friend can hire other people/sell the business and have more time to hang out than ever before. It sounds to me like you two got busy with work and it got in the way of hanging out. I got a newer more demanding job about a year ago, and I've had less time than ever to see my friends. I'll put up with it a bit longer though because at this phase of my life, I need the money more than the frequent free time.

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Lokiranea t1_iuf7tpg wrote

So.. your LPT is don't grow up and get big boy jobs? You just described life in your later years for almost every guy. Not really a tip to find here.

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Jeterea OP t1_iuf93sv wrote

Ok, it’s not a tip for you then but that doesn’t mean it can’t be for someone else. No?

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Hole-In-Six t1_iufthb3 wrote

Don't start a business with a friend because it can become successful and you guys will be too busy making money to hang out anymore? That isn't a tip, you're just venting about white boy venture capitalism.

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