Hey friends 👋
This week’s Office Hours tackled the hard stuff: co-founder misalignment, competitive curveballs, and why launching to a 700-person waitlist that ghosts you back might be… a sign.
If you missed it live, don’t sweat it. You can watch the Substack replay right up top — and catch our LinkedIn highlights below.
Tuesday on Substack
Topic: “What if your co-founder doesn’t show up anymore?”
It’s a startup classic: one founder’s still grinding, the other’s ghosted. We unpacked what to do when the relationship breaks down — and why having vesting, cliffs, and brutally honest conversations upfront can save your cap table (and your sanity).
Watch the replay above — and listen for:
Founders who outlive their usefulness (yes, we said it)
Cap table cruft and other poetic injustices
Why differentiation is not a Venn diagram exercise
The Founder’s Pie framework — for divvying up equity before the drama
PLUS — the usual round of experimentation and traction questions.
Watch the reply at the top of this post.
Friday on LinkedIn
Topic: When a competitor comes out of nowhere
A founder discovers a lookalike competitor with better market traction. Panic ensues. We discuss:
Why “we’re first” is a lie you tell yourself
Differentiation vs. expansion: what really matters
How to think like an investor when someone else is two steps ahead
The uncomfortable truth: most markets already have 50 competitors you’ve never heard of
Also:
What happens when your customer hates your product (and why you shouldn’t try to win them back)
The difference between signals and delusions
A 14-for-800 conversion rate from a waitlist… and one very concerned rock emoji 🪨
Can’t Make It Live?
We get it. You’re building something, and time is tight. We’re on call 24/7 to take your burning questions for next week (in the form of our inbox, at least).
Submit yours here by replying or commenting.
We’re live every week:
Substack on Tuesdays @ 9am
LinkedIn on Fridays @ 12pm
Same founders. Same chaos. See you then.
— JDM & Cameron
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