Improvement

I'm still disheartened to admit that the core problem was the team. Though there were many other issues, every single of of them could be traced to the dysfunction of our team dynamic. While finanical issues could be most directly blamed for the company's downfall, this was a problem that could've been solved by raising money, which is something I didn't feel comfortable doing because I didn't truly believe in the team. I started the company believing we had the right team, but cracks really started to show as time went on. Our company moved without a sense of urgency and we weren't able to hold ourselves accountable for our issues with egos getting in the way. Things we said we would do were left undone, and though we were failing, we didn't fight to survive. The issues that plagued THE CNC COMPANY are valuable lessons that will guide the formation of my next company. In my next startup, I'd still start with cofounders who are my friends, who I like to work with, who are collaborators. However, a more rigid form of decision-making must be established. Having a fixed CEO who is competent enough to execute their clear vision and direction to defer to in times of irreconcilable conflicting opinions would be a good start. However, a delicate balance has to be struck such that cofounders are still collaborators, and not minions. In most conflicts, with emotionally intelligent partners, the Stripe way that Patrick and John Collison employ by going with the person who feels most strongly about a certain direction is the proper way to go. To validate a potential cofounder is emotionally intelligent and competent enough, a staging process used to hire cooks for a kitchen might be a good solution.

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