Starting a business with your friends sounds like a dream.
No contracts.
No awkward meetings.
Just building with people you already trust.
But that’s also exactly why it can fall apart.
This morning I was listening to a podcast hosted by Tim Campbell from The Apprentice. He was talking to James and Fuhad from ShxtsNGigs.
What stood out wasn’t their success.
It was something way simpler.
They said they’ve never had an argument while working together.
At first, that sounds unrealistic.
No arguments? Really?
But when they explained it, it made sense.
They don’t avoid disagreements.
They just handle them differently.
If one of them comes in low energy bad sleep, bad mood, whatever the other one clocks it instantly.
No ego.
No pressure.
Just: “You alright?”
A quick reset. Then they get on with it.
Most people take things personally.
They assume tone = disrespect.
They react instead of reading the situation.
But the real part that stuck with me was how they deal with being right.
If one of them disagrees, they don’t argue for the sake of winning.
They argue for clarity.
If you can explain your point properly…
If your reasoning actually makes sense…
The other person just accepts it.
No “I told you so.”
No dragging it out.
Just: cool, let’s move on.
And that’s the difference.
Most friendships aren’t built for business.
Because friendships run on emotion.
Business runs on clarity.
If you’re building with your friend, you don’t need more motivation.
You need:
Emotional awareness
Clear communication
Zero ego when it comes to being right
Because the fastest way to ruin both a business and a friendship…
Is trying to win instead of trying to understand.
I haven’t built a business with friends (yet).
But if I ever do, it won’t be based on “we get along.”
It’ll be based on this:
Can we handle pressure without taking things personally?
Can we disagree without turning it into ego?
Can we prioritise the outcome over who’s right?
Because that’s what actually scales.
Not the friendship.
The mindset.
Listen to the podcast here: https://youtu.be/AG0jT-6DkMQ?si=1WZ_Ip7TjFFlaU5Q