A founder considers firing his best friend to save the business. Mike Andes says show him the books and let him choose: take a pay cut and help fix it, or leave to find better money elsewhere. Either way, keep it honest so the friendship survives.
Hurt his feelings temporarily or save the business.
And I think you can actually do both. Open up the books to the team and show just how bad things are. They know, like, the two cars just didn't go through. They know there's not money.
Like, honestly, if we kept going at the rate we're going, paying out, like, what we're paying out.
Everyone loses their job.
Everyone's done. Everyone's done.
Yep. He wants to see you succeed. So either A, he's gonna be like, yes, although 18, I wanna turn this thing around with you. Cause you just have this big, like, come to Jesus moment with all your team, and, like, everyone's on board with, like, being the underdogs after that moment, he might be like, 18, let's do it. And you all of a sudden start working harder. Or B, he's like, I can't do 18. I gotta provide for my family. I need at least 20. Okay. And you can leave. And now he has left on his own decision, and he's been. And now you can keep a good relationship. Do not go down the path of. I thought you were gonna be a manager. I wanted more out of you. You didn't leave up to that. It's not fair that someone else is getting paid less than you. Do not go down that path. That sounds corporate.
Y Y.
And you're gonna just ruin the relationship.
Would I rather.
