Al Pacino and Robert De Niro
This morning, I turned off the alarm but lingered for a moment, slipping back into the arms of sleep. A temptation whispered: "Come on, skipping one workout won’t hurt. Your partner will understand."
But since we agreed yesterday, I had to drag myself out of bed.
After sparring, we sat catching our breath and talked. My partner confessed he’d also struggled to show up this morning—and only did it for me.
We both faltered, yet somehow leaned on each other and kept going.
Everyone has weak moments. If not, he wouldn’t be human—he’d be God. Where, when, or why the cracks will open is personal. One weakness often leads to another, and then another...
So how do you protect yourself from slipping into the abyss?
The answer lies in another person—imperfect, just like you.
The thing is, people stumble at different times. When one is weak, the other is strong. And vice versa. They balance each other out.
Even when both are ready to quit, the mere image of the other pulls them back. It’s like a flipped version of the "prisoner's dilemma" in game theory: “How awkward would it be if I gave up and my cool partner didn’t?”
Lucky is the founder who isn’t alone in business. But not everyone can tolerate, much less appreciate, the otherness of a partner. Yet when they do, their venture weathers the storms and keeps growing.
Paradoxically, the perfect machine is built from imperfect parts.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.