The Founder Prenup
by Alisa Cohn • Executive Coach & Author at Alisa Cohn Coaching
Named the Top Startup Coach in the World at the Thinkers50 Marshall Goldsmith Coaching Awards. Author of 'From Start-Up to Grown-Up'. Coach to leaders at Etsy, Venmo, DraftKings, and The New York Times.
🎙️ Episode Context
Executive coach Alisa Cohn breaks down the specific scripts and frameworks for handling the hardest parts of leadership: having delicate conversations, firing employees, aligning with co-founders, and running effective meetings. She emphasizes that a leader's job is to drive results rather than make employees happy.
Problem It Solves
Prevents co-founder breakups and toxic misalignments that destroy startups later in their lifecycle.
Framework Overview
A set of critical discussion topics for co-founders to align on before starting a company (or to revisit periodically), designed to prevent the 65% of startup failures caused by co-founder conflict.
✔️ Verification Checklist
When to Use
Before signing incorporation documents, when bringing on a new co-founder, or annually as a relationship health check.
Common Mistakes
Assuming you align because you are friends; avoiding the conversation because it feels awkward or unromantic.
Real World Example
Two co-founders realized too late that one wanted a massive venture outcome and the other wanted a small shop where they knew everyone's name, leading to a painful split.
If you act in a certain way... you think they're acting strangely, but actually, they're acting in accordance with their values.
— Alisa Cohn