Why 65% of Co-Founders Fail (and How to Prevent That) with BoomPop Co-Founder Blake Hudelson episode artwork

EPISODE · May 5, 2026 · 1H 10M

Why 65% of Co-Founders Fail (and How to Prevent That) with BoomPop Co-Founder Blake Hudelson

from Don't Be a Jerk · host Healey Cypher

Blake Hudelson is my co-founder at BoomPop (and we probably spend more time with each other than we do with our wives). We met at a startup studio in San Francisco six years ago. I proposed we try three companies simultaneously to see what clicked. He said yes without hesitating. That tells you everything about him.Six years, a lot of 11pm calls, a few near-death moments, and one company (BoomPop) we're really proud of later… Blake is our Chief Product & Design Officer and still one of my favorite people to talk to every single day.65% of high-potential startups fail because co-founders can't get along. We’re grateful we found a way to get along (and thrive) on this crazy journey. If you’re a co-founder (or looking for a co-founder), you’re going to want to tune into this one.Here's what we get into:1. How we actually met and why we tried three companies first2. Why our most pivotal moments always came from disagreement3. The "Swoop and Poop” problem 4. The pre-parade and pre-mortem: two exercises every co-founding pair needs5. Why telling your team the real problem is your strongest tool6. Why being too similar is the actual danger zone for co-founders7. Integrity in the micro-decisions and why it's the whole architecture8. The outsider advantage, and when it runs outSubscribe and listen to this episode of “Don’t Be a Jerk” wherever you get your podcasts!

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Why 65% of Co-Founders Fail (and How to Prevent That) with BoomPop Co-Founder Blake Hudelson

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