When you found a startup with partners but only you work seriously

And after a few months you're already indispensable and burned out

Do you recognize this situation?

• You opened the startup very recently
• Multiple partners with defined shares on paper
• You work too many hours per week
• Other partners: forget things, disorganized, don't use tools
• And the fear is: becoming indispensable and burning out immediately

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The trap

The idea seemed perfect.

Founders with complementary skills.
You: sales, finance, processes.
Other partners: finance, marketing, IT.

Distributed shares.
Clear roles on paper.

But in reality, only you are rowing.

After very little time in operation:
You work too many hours.
The others? Forgetfulness, disorganization, don't use tools.

You're already the bottleneck.
"Becoming replaceable" is already your goal.

You're already thinking about how to work less.
Get back in physical shape.

Be with your loved ones. After very little time.

Not years.

A few months.

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Why it happens

On the operational front:
You handle sales, finance, training, processes, organization.
Too many hours while others do their "little piece".
Delegation impossible: "Main concern: delegation".
Blocked growth because everything goes through you.

After very little time you're already tired.

On the partners front:
"Professional growth of one of the partners" among concerns = someone isn't at the level.
"Forgetfulness by some partners" = they're not professional.
"Disorganization" = they don't have the right mindset.
"Little use of tools" = they don't want to work in a structured way.

You put systems in place, they ignore them.

On the personal front:
Goal: "Get back in shape physically" = you've already neglected yourself.
"Work less and be more with my loved ones" = you've already lost work-life balance.

In very little time you've already compromised health and relationships.

If you continue like this, you'll burn out soon.

On the strategy front:
You want to expand (sales network, new offices).
But how, if you're already at the limit?
Every growth requires more energy from you.

Other partners can't/won't scale with you.

You chose the wrong partners.
Or rather: you confused initial enthusiasm with real commitment.

At first everyone was excited.
"Let's do this startup together!"
"I'll handle X, you handle Y"
"It'll be fantastic"

But when the time came to really work:
Too many hours, including Saturdays, sacrifices, discipline.

Only you remained.

The others understood that "being an entrepreneur" wasn't what they thought.

And now you're stuck.

You need them (corporate shares, competencies on paper).
But they're not performing.
And you can't carry everything alone.

But you can't stop either (you have clients, collaborators, commitments).

And the solution you always try is the same:
"I work even harder to cover their shortcomings."

But you're just postponing the problem.
You'll become more indispensable, not less.
And they'll have learned that "you'll take care of it anyway".

You can't work more. You must solve the partners problem.

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The method

Don't cover. Confront.

1. Brutally honest conversation (immediately)

Immediate partners meeting.
"Here are the data: I work too many hours, you work few. This isn't sustainable."

Clear: "Either everyone at maximum, or we redefine shares/roles".

Not accusations, but numbers and expectations.

1. Definition of performance metrics for partners

Every partner has measurable objectives.
Not "you handle marketing".
But "X leads per month, Y content, Z engagement".

Regular review: data, not opinions.

Those who don't perform: clear consequences (reduced share, exit).

1. Forced delegation even if imperfect

Document key processes.
Transfer activities to partners (even if they'll do worse than you).
Let them make mistakes, but with guardrails.

Goal: drastically reduce your hours.

1. Quick decision point

Evaluate partners' performance soon.
Those who haven't performed: exit or reduced share proposal.

Better to resolve now than after years.

"We're friends, but business is business."

1. Plan B: replace partners with employees/collaborators

If marketing/IT don't work as partners, let them exit.
Hire professionals as employees.
Keep only operational partners who perform.

Few partners who work > many partners with dead weight.

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What changes after

You no longer work too many hours.

You only have partners who really row.
Those who weren't aligned have exited.
Painful but necessary.

You can delegate because you have reliable people.

And above all:

You saved the startup before it burned you out.

Many founders realize the partners problem after years.
You after a few months.

Solving it now saves you.

It's not failure to let non-performing partners exit.

It's leadership.
It's protecting what you've built.
Before it destroys you.