We hang out with friends for a few hours at a time. Maybe grab some lunch. Catch up over cocktails or dinner. Watch a game or a movie. Then we go home. Not much to it.

It’s harder for couples. So much harder.

The honeymoon period is fun but it never lasts. Couples that plan to stay couples quickly learn to ignore each other and spend as little time together as possible. Nothing personal. Just a matter of survival.

There’s a reason why absence makes the heart grow fonder. Because togetherness really grates on our nerves.

Clearly, distance is the key to a successful long-term relationship.  

The problem is, there is no escape from your business partners and co-founders. No. Escape.

It’s the worst kept secret in Silicon Valley. Just like marriages, most partnerships and co-founder relationships don’t work out.

Why is that?

Co-founders are people you work alongside day in, day out, through thick and thin for years and years. That’s right folks. Years and years. Day in, day out. Everyday. Get the picture?

Wait, I forgot the best part. That’s only if things work out. If they don’t, which they probably won’t, you get to spend beaucoup bucks defending lawsuits against, wait for it, your co-founders. Just like divorce.

If your blood pressure isn’t spiking yet and you’re not about to jump out of your skin, then you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. You’ve never had a business partner or a co-founder.

Good for you. I hate people like you.

An old friend/mentor once cautioned me about the risks of having a business partner. He was right about that. Except he warned the wrong person. He warned me. He should have warned my partner.

Okay. I can see this is going nowhere. Let’s try a different tact.

Here’s the thing. Partners are a necessity. It’s as true in love as it is in business.

Sure, they’re risky. And they suck when they don’t work out. But when they do work out, even for a time, they can produce amazing results: Wonderful relationships that last a lifetime. Fantastic products that customers love. Great companies that stand the test of time.

Is it worth the risk? For me, hell yes. As for my partners, you’d have to ask them. Personally, I think they’re all out of their freaking minds.

Image credit Facebook/Zuck