Clearing the Hurdles: Women Building High-Growth Businesses

206 CLEARING THE HURDLES: WOMEN BUILDING HIGH-GROWTH BUSINESSES

lower level of energy put into the venture by the fourth. The relation-

ships were still too new to survive serious discord and one team mem-

ber resigned, leaving not only a gaping hole in their marketing efforts

but also a significant and unplanned debt incurred when they were

forced to buy out the ownership of the departing member.

In another case, three entrepreneurs and friends founding a high-

technology start-up venture decided they did not want to be subordi-

nated to each other. They created an “office of the president” where

each “shared” the president’s decision-making role. Needless to say,

the arrangement was confusing for customers, created internal dissent,

and eventually damaged ...