Is This A Weak Partnership?

[Owen]

Hello :D

So I have a question about my business partnership. As you may or may not know, I'm a teenage entrepreneur, I cofounded a 3D printing company called Dextron in Summer 2014, and I live and breath business. However, I have been sensing some problems...

So my business partner is going to be going to college this fall. I'll be totally honest, I really don't feel like he's as motivated. I've told him what will end up happening. He's getting a job about an hour away where he doesn't even know his schedule, and his college is about a half an hour away. I know college is tough. I've told him that there might end up being a time where you'll have to drop out and even quit his job, but he gives me an attitude and tells me I don't know what I'm talking about because I've never run a business.

I'd consider my self quite knowledgable about business administration and management. I've been studying it for five plus years. I also have quite a few credits, soon to have college credits in business administration. I know more about it than 99.9% of fifteen year olds that I've met who claim to know more than me, yet he still acts like I don't know what it's going to be like. He thinks just because I've read some articles doesn't mean it's going to get tough. What our company is doing is going to take a lot of work, and to be honest he doesn't want to put any more effort than making the product.

I'm quitting my job to start this company, yet he won't budge. He doesn't want to quit his job nor drop out until he's making an exceptional amount of money, yet that isn't the reality which I don't think he quite understands. I know for a fact he won't dedicate as much time as me into getting this on the map. There are sacrifices he needs to make, but I know he doesn't want to make the same ones as me. I don't know what to do. Is this a bad partnership? How do I come about this?

[Owen]

Bump :-) could use some help :(

[Freelancier]

First of all... relax. You're stressing now over a problem that might not happen and the earliest it could happen is 6 months from now.

You can create issues by anticipating them before they happen. Sometimes it's better just to let life happen and then respond to it when it happens.

I'm not saying you're in a good partnership or a bad one... I'm saying you're creating the problem before it really exists.... or is there really a problem TODAY with the amount of time he's spending on the business?

[Owen]

First of all... relax. You're stressing now over a problem that might not happen and the earliest it could happen is 6 months from now.

You can create issues by anticipating them before they happen. Sometimes it's better just to let life happen and then respond to it when it happens.

I'm not saying you're in a good partnership or a bad one... I'm saying you're creating the problem before it really exists.... or is there really a problem TODAY with the amount of time he's spending on the business?

We have a deadline to get it done, which is this fall. I'm very worried that he's not going to get it done because he's going to be more focused on this job and college than the company. I know he's not as passionate as business, so he sees those two things over the company. He won't see that it's more important until he's making money.

[Fulcrum]

We have a deadline to get it done, which is this fall. I'm very worried that he's not going to get it done because he's going to be more focused on this job and college than the company. I know he's not as passionate as business, so he sees those two things over the company. He won't see that it's more important until he's making money.

If this is the case than you, and any other partners, will need to pick up the slack. Deadlines need to be put in place as well as enforced. If you need your prototype ready for the fall than set your in house deadline for July or August (this will give you time to iron out bugs and ensure a quality machine hitting the market).

I do agree with Freelancier that there may be nothing to worry about. However, if your partner balks or stalls about a pushed up deadline, than you should have a relatively good idea where the partnership stands.

[tallen]

What is he not doing that you wish he was doing (specifically)? Does he need to do that, or is that something that you can do without him? Is there something that he contributes to the project that you cannot do without him? Is he doing at least that part adequately? If so, then encourage him in that rather than complaining about his not being active in other aspects of the project. If not, you'll need to be creative in coming up with some carrot to motivate him. Is a partnership the best arrangement for this business? Would it be better if you were the sole "owner" and he was an employee or contractor? If the latter, can you come up with a creative way of offering/providing compensation (since I assume you are probably short on funding to be able to pay him), compensation that maybe doesn't involve equity?

[Owen]

What is he not doing that you wish he was doing (specifically)? Does he need to do that, or is that something that you can do without him? Is there something that he contributes to the project that you cannot do without him? Is he doing at least that part adequately? If so, then encourage him in that rather than complaining about his not being active in other aspects of the project. If not, you'll need to be creative in coming up with some carrot to motivate him. Is a partnership the best arrangement for this business? Would it be better if you were the sole "owner" and he was an employee or contractor? If the latter, can you come up with a creative way of offering/providing compensation (since I assume you are probably short on funding to be able to pay him), compensation that maybe doesn't involve equity?

Wow! I'm from Maine too! My company is actually based in Berwick, Maine! :D

Alright, so basically he's designing the whole product. I specialize in business administration and management. Since I am under 18, it's harder for me to completely run the company (I have a few people joining this spring). I need him to get the design element done and get this prototype completed too by the end of August. Of course, his new job is going to come first in his world. I'm quitting my job so I can work more. He doesn't seem to get it though. He thinks it's going to be easy, when in reality, it's hard as hell. I think someone with some experience needs to sit him down and tell him how it is. Me saying anything isn't working, and I don't know what to do. My only option is to keep this partnership because of how stuck I am. We've been building this company from absolutely nothing since June 2014, and I don't want to let my hours and hours and hours of work go to nothing because he isn't understanding how this works...

[Fulcrum]

He doesn't seem to get it though. He thinks it's going to be easy, when in reality, it's hard as hell.

You, young grasshopper, have a better grasp on business than many people 2-3 times older and more "experienced" than you. One word of caution though - don't make things harder than they actually are.

I get the impression that you are behind schedule on this. If you need to have a working prototype ready for demonstration by the end of August, you will want to have a machine ready to go by the end of June (no later than mid July) so you can debug and begin on improvement of the initial design (safety, throughput, etc). One piece of advice I can give you is to recommend that your partner does a little bit every day (just an hour or two).

[CCAdamson]

Do you already have prototypes? Have you already begun the debugging process? I agree with Fulcrum that you need to be ready before August but I personally would have an initial prototype already done.

If I heard you correctly, your partner is the brains behind the technology and you are the brains behind the business? You also mentioned adding additional people, what purpose would those people serve?

I do think you are going to continue to run into big obstacles if the designer of your product treats it more like a hobby. You are right that business is hard and that creating something and making it profitable takes time but your partner apparently doesn't feel that way. Maybe he does feel that way and he is doing this in an effort to push you away. Sorry that was my conspiracy theorist coming out!

You guys are both young I presume, you said you weren't even 18 and he sounds like he is younger as well. You guys should try to find an experienced and well seasoned mentor to talk shop with. Is there some type of local organization that can serve as a mentor to the both of you? As you work through that process you may find that your partnership just needed tweaked or you could find it won't work. Either way at least you'll know.

[Owen]

Do you already have prototypes? Have you already begun the debugging process? I agree with Fulcrum that you need to be ready before August but I personally would have an initial prototype already done.

If I heard you correctly, your partner is the brains behind the technology and you are the brains behind the business? You also mentioned adding additional people, what purpose would those people serve?

I do think you are going to continue to run into big obstacles if the designer of your product treats it more like a hobby. You are right that business is hard and that creating something and making it profitable takes time but your partner apparently doesn't feel that way. Maybe he does feel that way and he is doing this in an effort to push you away. Sorry that was my conspiracy theorist coming out!

You guys are both young I presume, you said you weren't even 18 and he sounds like he is younger as well. You guys should try to find an experienced and well seasoned mentor to talk shop with. Is there some type of local organization that can serve as a mentor to the both of you? As you work through that process you may find that your partnership just needed tweaked or you could find it won't work. Either way at least you'll know.

We both live in small town Maine. The closest anything to do with mentors and business is over an hour away, even more if you go in Boston.


You, young grasshopper, have a better grasp on business than many people 2-3 times older and more "experienced" than you.
lol "young grasshopper".

[CCAdamson]

I think an hours drive to potentially save your business is worth it.

I think you are taking a lot of right steps in trying to convince your partner the time needed to make this work but he isn't buying what you're selling. Putting someone in front of him who has "been there, done that" may be a good tipping point for him. Like I said though, you need to mentally be prepared because it could tip it the other way too.