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Too Tired to Care (But We Do)

It’s 2 AM:

The app’s broken, you’re both frustrated. You question everything from the business model to whether you actually like each other.

I’ve been there.

Everyone’s exhausted. No one admits it. You think vulnerability equals weakness.

I’ve been there.

Your friends don’t get the startup grind. Cofounding feels like a secret double life with inside jokes only you two understand.

I’ve been there.

Someone messes up. Misses a deadline, loses a client, or launches the wrong feature. Instead of addressing it, things get awkward for days.

I’ve been there.

One cofounder ends up being the emotional rock, listening to all the stress, family drama, and startup anxieties of the others.

Sometimes (often) at the expense of their own sanity.

I’ve been there.

Life, finances, school, family, spouses, health — something — gets in the way.

I’ve been there.

You decide to have a serious talk, maybe about equity. But it keeps getting postponed. Unresolved tension hangs for weeks.

I’ve been there.

A small oversight causes a site crash and panic ensues. All because you both assumed the other was handling it.

I’ve been there.

You catch yourself juggling half the tasks, and it feels like your cofounder’s on a permanent coffee break.

Somehow they feel the same.

I’ve been there.

You’re excited about a product feature or business move, but your cofounder just shrugs. Now you’re second-guessing everything.

I’ve been there.

The truth is, every cofoundership goes through the messy, frustrating, exhausting parts.

The late nights, the unspoken resentments, the miscommunications. They’re not signs you’re failing, they’re signs you’re building.

The difference between those who make it and those who don’t isn’t perfection.

It’s persistence. It’s the willingness to face the awkward talks, admit when you’re overwhelmed, and keep showing up even when you don’t like each other that day.

Great startups aren’t built by flawless cofounders.

I’ve been there. And you will too — and that’s exactly why you can get through it.

That’s all for now,

BTW — The Cherrytree cofounder community is now open. Join here →

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