KnotBootstrappedseedposter03 ·
Cofounder is mentally checked out. I can see it. Do I confront or wait?
Co-founder & CEO of a Bootstrapped AI/ML tools in 🇩🇪 Germany.
Lying to investors about how I'm doingFamily says quit
Two years in. He's the technical cofounder, I'm CEO. For the last three months he's been responding slower, shipping less, skipping standups with "doctor" excuses. Code quality is fine when he does ship — but he ships maybe 30% of what he used to.
I think he's interviewing somewhere. I have no proof. I haven't asked him directly because I'm terrified the answer is yes and then we have to start the conversation about vesting acceleration, cap table, who owns what.
If I'm wrong and he's just burnt out, asking will damage trust. If I'm right and I wait, I'm watching the company sink with my eyes open.
How have other founders handled this exact moment?
It is quite sure that he has problems and you may not know all of them. However, you can see the consequences of his situation. If I were you, I would like to talk with him first to understand him without taking any action or decision. First you need to understand the situation. You need to at least have an idea of what is or are the problems and try to evaluate the situation in a non-judgemental point.