Friends vs Affiliate

[steveestewart]

Just wanted to throw a question out there. I've heard time and time again that one major mistake one can make in business is forming a partnership with a friend. Is this a true myth? What are your experiences with this?

Advice I keep getting is: when starting out, is it better to fly solo (if you can), but if you have to: look for an affiliate or partner that you don't have a special 'bond' with that can be treated entirely business-like. Is this legit or can friends make a successful company without killing their relationship?

Thoughts?

[steveestewart]

Anyone got any thoughts?

[akula]

ummmmmm....no not really
i think its ok to start a business with a friend
i know plenty of successful of cofounders who were friends before they started...then again, i've seen plenty of friendships fall apart because of business problems
it depends i guess

i couldn't really tell you what makes for a perfect business partnership. i don't think there are any rules as such...lots of "i think that partners should be x etc etc" type of rhetoric but nothing empirical

some teams just click and others don't

[Lukas]

It would depend on both partners personalities and how strong their friendship was before. My dad lost a fair bit of money because of a freind screwing him over, but, he made even more back when he and his brother, which could also be classified as a friend started a business. Now, he works solo, no longer owning a business.