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How to Prevent a Startup from Ruining Your Relationship
8 ways you can both survive — and thrive
In the nearly twenty years my husband and I have been together, neither of us has ever had a full-time job offering a regular paycheck. Sometimes we’ve worked together, sometimes separately, but no company has offered to match our 401K contributions. No one else has paid us for workdays on which we’ve been unable to work.
We’ve started about a half dozen businesses. We sold some, closed some and are still running others. We’ve created products to fill a need in the market. We’ve endeavored to change the world, at least for our customers. The road has been winding, with some magnificent vistas and dark canyons along the way.
Sometimes we’ve made lots of money, other times very little. Through it all, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to survive and even enjoy life both as an entrepreneur and as the partner of one. I’ve found that a relationship can even thrive under the weight of a startup, with the right mindset.
Whether you’re a startup founder considering a new relationship, someone considering a relationship with a startup founder or wondering if you can handle your partner launching a startup, you should know what it takes to maintain your relationship — and your sanity.
