Navigating Co-Founder Breakups and the Weight of Failure

In this episode of TinySeed Tales, Rob Walling chats with Colleen Schnettler, co-founder of Hello Query, as she navigates the complexities of her startup journey. 

After a challenging period with her co-founder Aaron, Colleen reflects on their decision to part ways and the emotional toll it has taken on her. She shares her feelings of crushing failure, the uncertainty of moving forward alone, and the realization that their initial product vision may not align with market needs. 

Topics we cover: 

• (0:49) – Colleen and Aaron make a tough decision
• (4:09) – Voice memo, “Crushing Failure”
• (7:59) – What if you hadn’t raised money?
• (11:44)  – Colleen weighs her remaining options

Links from the Show: 

• Applications for TinySeed are Open Through Feb 23rd
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger) | X
• Colleen Schnettler (@leenyburger.bsky.social) | Bluesky
• Hello Query

If you have questions about starting or scaling a software business that you’d like for us to cover, please submit your question for an upcoming episode. We’d love to hear from you!

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