time to leave

[synergy1]

let me start this off by saying starting a business is tough. Out of everything though, I think the biggest factor is the team that you have. We have 3 folks, and myself and another are the ones who have done all the work since last august. The third has been the weak link, and is fairly unreliable and doesn't contribute. Basically he free loads.

Last week I tasked him with the responsibility of making our business plan shine. He swore to the stars that he changed his old ways and would do it. I got an email addressed to our Point of contact with a business plan attached, and it was basically all the work I had done on another document...cut, pasted, re formatted.

I would say that this was the last straw. I am already miserable where I am, and its evident the last link ( the owner) won't change. I hate being a quitter, but its time to move on.

how would you guys break this to the team? How would you tell your friend who has put in his 100%. just ditch em? give em two weeks? Right now, my mindset is that I just can't stand being there. recruiters are calling with mint offers, some nearing 100k annually. just needed to get this off my chest. I plan on doing this entrepreneurial thing again sometime ( yeah they all say that) when i have a bit more engineering under my belt.

 

[Drum&Bass]

happens all the time, You gotta do whats best for you. I've never quit someone elses team but I've had partners who didnt want to follow my business plan and strategies that just flaked and disappeared. It didn't stop me from moving forward with my plans because as an owner you you don't complain when things or people dont work out, you just replace them them / restructure and move on.

Don't make it a long painful event. Tell them the reason you want to leave and bounce !!

 

[synergy1]

happens all the time, You gotta do whats best for you. I've never quit someone elses team but I've had partners who didnt want to follow my business plan and strategies that just flaked and disappeared. It didn't stop me from moving forward with my plans because as an owner you you don't complain when things or people dont work out, you just replace them them / restructure and move on.

Don't make it a long painful event. Tell them the reason you want to leave and bounce !!

Good perspective. The owner has basically used the people he hires as a crutch to do everything. he already has been through one group of owners prior to us showing up.

you mention an interesting point at the end of your first paragraph. moving forward and not complaining when things don't work out. This owner uses everything as an excuse to why he hasn't done anything. he blames his computer, where he works, his ex girlfriend as to why he doesn't get work done. clearly you are a better leader type than he is.

The worst has been the mental toll it took on me. new to an area with not much going on, didn't make many friends at all. The living situation too. all added up over time. this past week was the breaking point and a time to move on.

Edit: to be fair it hasn't been all doom and gloom. its been an interesting one of a kind experience, and the other guy has set the bar for working hard ( he'll probably leave too). all in all, I grew tremendously from this and will likely pursue something similar down the road. As the mantra of this forum goes, its time to work on myself via a good career...

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Is there any way you can force him out? Stage a coup or buy him out? Or perhaps you and the others become his competition?

 

[synergy1]

Is there any way you can force him out? Stage a coup or buy him out? Or perhaps you and the others become his competition?

ha ha no, its not a big time enough operation to matter. basically we could get on the same ground with a few weeks work as another company w/ out him.

The tentative plan ( because plans always go as planned ) is to get some serious industry experience before doing this again. Engineering is a vast sea of knowledge and I feel i have barely scratched the surface. knowing the whos, whats, and where's of technology and where it is going is crucial and I feel all of us are a bit amateurish. Without lying, IB or VCs would likely see it the same way.

To the other poster, not going to trash his car. its already trashed. both of them have gotten in so many accidents, I am the only one with a working vehicle now. when i leave, they are F'ed IMO. basically it will hamstring the company as it is and force the other engineer to leave as well.

 

[synergy1]

dude, you need to come to Russia, a lot of money to be made here. Especially for someone like you. Buy a boat, and come to black sea, so you'd have a place to live already.

I wish. But wouldn't living there require a negotiation level skill in the language? I am just now mastering English