The most important decision I’ve made

Hi, Gopi here.

Last week, I wrote about the shame of quitting my first business, Verdes.

But I left out the most important part of that story.

The decision to finally close Verdes wasn't a shouting match. It wasn't two angry co-founders blaming each other in a boardroom.

It was just me and Nooa, at an Indian restaurant, over lunch.

I remember us talking over the numbers, next to a half-eaten butter chicken. We talked about the finances. We talked about the time we were sinking into it.

And yeah, it was shitty. It was awkward. It was the physical proof that our “big” idea had failed.

But a funny thing happened. There was no, "This was your fault," or "You were supposed to handle the clients." There was no "this part of the business was Nooa's responsibility."

It was just... ours. We were in this. Our project didn't work. We had to figure out what was next.

We walked out of that restaurant having lost a business, but with more trust in each other than when we started.

So when we had the idea for GetShitDone, you'd think I'd be terrified. Starting another project with the same guy I'd just failed with? Sounds like a terrible idea.

But it was the safest bet in the world.

Everyone asks, "How do you find a co-founder?" The advice is always about "complementary skills" or "finding someone who hustles as hard as you."

That's 10% of it.

The real question isn't "Can you succeed together?" Anyone can be friends when you're winning.

The real question is: "Can you overcome failure together?"

Can you sit at that Indian restaurant, look at the brutal, honest truth, and walk out as a team? Can you see the project fail, but know the partnership didn't?

The most important decision I've made wasn't what to build. It was who I wanted to be in the trenches with.

The decision wasn't about the project. It was about the partner.

Success is great. But trust is built in the failure.