$100k to Walk Away

TL;DR

Hey, I’m Tim! ☕

Friendly reminder that while I share spiky opinions, they’re not intended to be personal attacks on the cofounders featured. I know how hard it is to be a cofounder.

These stories are meant to serve as cautionary tales — lessons to help you navigate your own journey.

Here’s the one thing to remember: it’s not your emotions you need to control. It’s your reaction to them.

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Let’s get into it ⤵

DEEP DIVE

"The measure of a person is not what they do in comfort and convenience, but what they do in challenge and controversy." — Martin Luther King Jr.

Metaversity’s Mega-adversity

• Founded by former Twitter India CEO Manish Maheshwari and former Microsoft senior engineer Tanay Pratap, Metaversity seemed destined for success.

• They’d raised millions from prolific investors but couldn’t agree on the sector, let alone the product, which was supposed to be an online MBA.

• Employees were let go without much notice, and customers who were forced to quit their jobs to join the MBA course were left unemployed and with no course.

• Investors offered Manish $100k to leave. He didn’t take it at first but eventually resigned after continued equity and vesting discussions.

Actionable Advice

• Check your ego. While everyone else flew in for mediation meetings, Manish flat-out refused to attend in person with Tanay and key investors.

• Protect your reputation. Cofounder disputes happen all the time but they rarely blow up like this. It’s not about who’s right, it’s about what’s right.

• When looking for a cofounder, don’t over-index on flashy accolades like “ex-Google” or “Stanford MBA.” There’s more to a cofoundership than credentials.

• Being the bigger person isn’t about showing off your strength, but about showing restraint when it's most difficult.

TIM’S TAKE

Candid Comments

• They disagreed on whether they were building a product (edtech) or a platform (metaverse). This reflects a deeper rift: strategic vision vs. tactical execution.

• It goes to show that no amount of clout, funding, marketing, or even customer traction will make up for a mismatched cofoundership.

• Despite calling each other "brothers" on Twitter, Manish threatened to use $1.7M of the funds to sue Tanay if he publicly speaks ill of him. Ironic.

• I suspect the media spotlight distracted them and caused them to move too hastily, especially with their cofoundership. More courting was needed.

Keep in mind, what goes viral on Twitter or hits the headlines (which is where I got a lot of info) is often just one side of the story. There’s always two sides of the story.

Related Resources

• Here’s a cofounder alignment template I found, made by Aditi & Saraswati. It has different sections for being coworkers, cofounders, and partners.

• Searching for a cofounder? Check out StartHawk for an online platform and join LFC.DEV's in-person meet-ups in NYC for face-to-face connections.

• Both Superpowers for Good and FundingHope share incredibly powerful stories about companies doing social good. Yours could be next.

LAST LOOK

Make sure your cofounder sees this — either pass it along or get them to subscribe. A solid relationship takes everyone's effort.

Looking for a cofounder coach? Hit reply.

PS: Thanks again to all of you who’ve hopped on calls with me over the past few weeks to share stories about your cofoundership. I appreciate you!

Tim He
Founder & CEO