Why having partners with different risk tolerances can actually be helpful.

Engaging the status quo person—who is usually happy—in a change that will work for both parties.

The role of identity in business conflicts and how to understand yours and your partner’s.

Why resolving even minor conflict often means revisiting your joint objectives and strategy.

How to be brave and address potential conflicts early so they don’t fester or run you off the rails.

Quotables

“Plenty of soloists have a spouse that has a dramatically different risk tolerance than they do.”—JS

“(Being different), you keep each other from going too far off the rails, but it does mean that there's the potential for disagreement, for conflict.”—RM

“The status quo person is usually happy as a clam, and thinking... ‘if my partner would just stop bugging me about posting on social media every day everything would be fine.’”—JS

“It's also about how we feel individually. Who we are and what we want to have happen in the world. When you have two business partners, your personal identity may get attached to different things in different ways.”—RM

“You'll see conflict over a proposal crop up because, let's say, one person is more revenue driven and the other person is more mission driven. In a case like this, you're never gonna be able to agree how to price it.”—JS

“There's a lot of those strategic and foundational identity things that happen (between partners) and the tactical issues are just how they manifest.”—RM

“You might both be aligned on the objective, but you still have to agree on the strategy. There are probably multiple strategies that could work, but you gotta make sure you're both using the same one.”—JS

“It's important to go back and look at the strategy, the glue that holds this partnership together. We have to be able to talk about that and be brave.”—RM