Co-Founder Foundations
Practical agreements for a stronger working partnership
Clarify roles, decision-making, contribution and expectations — before assumptions turn into recurring friction.
Foundations is a focused introduction to relationship governance for co-founders who want a clearer, more deliberate way of working together.
And most of it begins long before the visible fallout. Misalignment, unclear roles, changing efforts, and unspoken expectations can quietly erode trust and decision-making over time.
What relationship governance means in practice
A legal agreement matters, but relationship governance is how co-founders agree to work together: their roles, decisions, expectations, and how they handle change and disagreement. It turns unspoken assumptions into practical agreements that can evolve with the business.
Is Foundations right for you?
You don’t need to be in conflict to benefit from clearer agreements about how you work together. As the business grows, roles change, priorities shift and informal arrangements can stop serving you.
Foundations is for co-founders who want to strengthen their partnership before those changes become recurring friction. The introductory workshop helps you understand the the principles and frameworks that enable you to build a baseline of alignment, psychological safety, and clear boundaries.
It may be right for you if:
- Roles and responsibilities have evolved, but you haven’t grown to match.
- What used to feel like an easy conversation is becoming more difficult.
- You are starting to have different expectations about contribution, availability or the future.
- You’re preparing for growth, investment or a change in the team.
- You want a practical way to raise concerns and review how you work together.
You’ll turn unspoken assumptions into clearer working agreements — giving you something to refer back to as the business changes.
If you are at a make-or-break conflict point and all co-founders are ready to participate, explore the Co-Founder Reset Programme. If you are stuck and need private clarity first, or your co-founder won’t come to the table, start with a Co-Founder Clarity Session.
What the Co-Founder Foundations workshop covers
A single workshop introducing relationship governance: practical frameworks to help co-founders collaborate, manage disagreement and work towards shared goals. We explore four areas.
Good co-founder agreements are not one-off legal events. They need to be reviewed as the business, the workload, and the people involved change: Always Be Contracting
What you leave with
Foundations is a starting point, not a complete set of agreements or a conflict-resolution programme. For deeper support on business and personal operating systems, explore the 10 week Co-Founder Alignment Programme.
Strengthen the partnership before strain becomes expensive
Many founder breakdowns do not begin with a dramatic dispute. They begin with misalignment that is left unspoken for too long. They are becoming out-of-sync.
If the business is changing, the way you work together may need to change too. Relationship Governance helps you update the partnership before old assumptions start creating new problems.
Losing a founding member can trigger a 45% drop in revenue and a 33% decline in productivity within the first year.
Co-Founders Foundations Investment
One powerful half day held over a video call devering tools to reinforce strong communication habits and emotional and relational maintenance.
Want more than an introduction to relationship governance…?
The Distance Between Us: Rebuilding Co-Founder Trust, Resolving Conflict or Ending the Partnership with Dignity
A practical guide for co-founders when the relationship is under strain.
Relationship Governance Keynotes and Workshops
Practical insight for founder communities, boards and leadership teams.