Mixing business with pleasure, and whether to do it or not, has long been a question with a divided answer. I often get asked about this since I founded Due.com with my good friend Murray Newlands. Most recently, foundr tackled the subject and asked me how and why it works. We started out by working on a couple of smaller projects together before diving headfirst into founding a business together.
By doing this, you get to know each other professionally. Just because you’ve always meshed during happy hour and road trips doesn’t mean you’ll work well together professionally. It’s kind of like choosing a spouse. You’ll be spending many hours with them (likely more than with your real spouse for awhile!) and there will definitely be ups and downs.
You need to be able to trust them completely. Still, write down a contract to keep everything legitimate. It should outline what will happen in best and worst case scenarios alike. Many friendships have fallen apart by introducing a business into the relationship, and that’s something you don’t want. You definitely can find success by partnering up with a friend, but it’s a risk.
