A guided conversation to stay in sync with your co-founder

For Co-Founders

Mini Game

Conversations about how you're
both doing, beyond the chaos.

15 mins

Round 1

✎ Principles

While it may never seem urgent, going out of sync with your co-founder often happens quietly.

Each cofounder's individual state before the partnership work starts.

Round 1

Rate Your Life

✎ Principles

Founder burnout is the most under-measured failure mode.

You can't read the partnership without first reading the person.

Each cofounder's individual state before the partnership work starts.

Rate each of these out of 10.

1 is lowest, 10 is highest.

1How healthy do you feel physically?

2How healthy do you feel mentally?

3How well have you been sleeping?

4How much fun are you having?

5How excited are you about your life?

One person gives their rating. Then it's the other's turn.

✎ Principles

Founder burnout is the most under-measured failure mode.

You can't read the partnership without first reading the person.

What's quietly taking up space in each cofounder's head right now.

Round 2

Brain Tabs

✎ Principles

Invisible weight.

Cofounders carry mental load the other rarely fully tracks.

What's quietly taking up space in each cofounder's head right now.

Imagine your brain is Google Chrome.

What are the 3 tabs running in your head right now?

Think about:

A milestone we're chasing right now Something happening outside of work An idea I want to try A conversation I need to have

Say your 3. Then they say theirs.

✎ Principles

Invisible weight.

Cofounders carry mental load the other rarely fully tracks.

How well each cofounder sees what mattered to the other.

Round 3

Their Rose,
Their Thorn

✎ Principles

Recognition is one of four fault lines under most cofounder conflict.

The gap between guess and truth is the diagnostic.

How well each cofounder sees what mattered to the other.

Guess their best moment of the last three months.

Guess their hardest moment of the last three months.

Think about:

A milestone we hit or missed A meeting that mattered Something at home A moment with the team

For each one: take your guess. They say what it was. Then they guess yours.

✎ Principles

Recognition is one of four fault lines under most cofounder conflict.

The gap between guess and truth is the diagnostic.

The unspoken stuff. Across the last three months, right now, and what's coming.

Round 4

Rapid Fire

✎ Principles

Postponement is the most dangerous hidden sign.

Speed bypasses the filter that hides Power, Closeness, and Personal Trust tensions.

The unspoken stuff. Across the last three months, right now, and what's coming.

In the last three months.

1One word to describe the last three months.

2One thing we spent too much time on.

3One thing we should have spent more time on.

4A decision of mine you went along with but didn't fully agree with. (Even a small one.)

5A moment you were glad I was there with you.

One of you asks all five. The other answers. Then switch.

✎ Principles

Postponement is the most dangerous hidden sign.

Speed bypasses the filter that hides Power, Closeness, and Personal Trust tensions.

The unspoken stuff. Across the last three months, right now, and what's coming.

Right now.

1One thing on your plate you're dreading.

2One thing on your plate you're excited about.

The next three months.

3From 1 to 10: how well do I know your vision for the coming three months?

One of you asks all three. The other answers. Then switch.

✎ Principles

Postponement is the most dangerous hidden sign.

Speed bypasses the filter that hides Power, Closeness, and Personal Trust tensions.

What each cofounder actually wants from the next quarter. Said out loud. Saved.

Last Round

The Next
Three Months

Each of you record your answer as a voice note.

✎ Principles

Assumed alignment is the most common form of misalignment.

The capsule pays off Round 4's synergy rating.

What each cofounder actually wants from the next quarter. Said out loud. Saved.

Each of you record your answer as a voice note.

In the coming three months,

what's the one thing you're most looking forward to,

and what's the one thing you see as the biggest challenge?

Think about:

Something we built finally going live A milestone with a date on it A decision we keep delaying A conversation we need to have

Code: 0301

How to record

✎ Principles

Assumed alignment is the most common form of misalignment.

The capsule pays off Round 4's synergy rating.

If either of you has an iPhone or iPad:

1Open the Seesaw Social app.
App link: seesaw.social

2Go to Activities. Select ‘Session Capsule.’

3Enter the code: 0301.

4Each of you record a voice note.

5Add a photo together.
(Optional)

6Saved to your timeline.

Playing from different cities?

Save with your voice note.
Link your space with your cofounder.
They add theirs from their device.

Don't have an iPhone?

Save it on WhatsApp.

Open your cofounder's chat on WhatsApp.

Each of you record the voice note and send it.

If you play this game again in a few months, these voice notes might be worth hearing first.

And that's it.

If you got to know one new thing that's on their mind, maybe the game did its job.

Play again in three months.

The same questions could surface different answers.

Inspired by The Cofounder Effect by Dr. Matthew Jones.

Intro

Keep going

The cofounder effect

Most co-founder relationships don't break in one big moment. They break through small things that never got said.

READING · 3 MIN READ

Brainstorming

The work-in-progress thinking pad behind the co-founders edition.

READING · 5 MIN READ

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