When you and your co-founder disagree on scaling strategies, start by actively listening to each other's perspectives without interruption. Understand the rationale behind their viewpoint, and explain your stance clearly, focusing on data and long-term goals. Identify any shared objectives, such as company growth or customer satisfaction, to align on common interests. Consider a compromise or hybrid approach, testing both strategies on a smaller scale to see what works best. If needed, involve a neutral third party, like a mentor or advisor, to mediate the discussion. Prioritize collaboration over competition to reach a solution that benefits the business.

Start by ensuring you both fully understand each other’s viewpoints. Often, disagreements stem from different interpretations or incomplete information. Listen actively to each other’s concerns and ideas.

Here’s how: 1. Listen actively: Schedule time to hear each other’s perspectives. Understanding the underlying reasons behind each viewpoint helps to see the bigger picture. 2. Seek data-driven insights: Rely on data and market research to guide your decisions. This neutral approach often helps align differing viewpoints with objective evidence. 3. Compromise and adapt: Identify overlapping goals and adapt strategy to incorporate elements from both perspectives. 4. Communicate openly: Regular, honest communication prevents misunderstandings and builds trust.

What If We Were Wrong Session: Both of you spend an hour discussing what would happen if each of you was completely wrong about your scaling ideas. This exercise in humility can break down ego barriers and expose potential flaws neither of you expect Hybrid Mini Pilot: Run a small scale pilot that mixed elements of both strategies. For instance if one suggests rapid expansion while the other urges cautious scaling, try a hybrid by expanding in one region while maintaining conservative growth in others. Data from the experiment will serve as a neutral decision making tool.

Disagreement is a good sign for an organization, however, the ground rule is that it should be taken in a positive spirit, an opportunity to understand another's perspective, and should never be taken in ego. The best way to deal with it is the following-- a. Give yourself time to prepare for an open discussion. Don't be in a hurry as time prepares us to listen to another perspective. b. Respect other's views and treat them with equal merit c. Set a ground rule to discuss the pros and cons of all the strategies d. Set a ground rule to make all decisions based on data and facts e. Take the help of a consultant for impartial views if required f. Select the strategy that is in line with your goal, core values, vision, and mission

First, acknowledge that disagreement is healthy—it shows both care about growth. Start by identifying shared goals and values. Then, evaluate scaling options using data, not just gut feeling. Hidden hack: Run a small-scale experiment with both strategies to see which delivers better ROI—let results guide decisions. Also, bring in third-party market insights to get an objective perspective. Remember, it’s not about winning, it’s about finding the most sustainable growth path. Stay open-minded, and don’t let ego drive the conversation!

Accepting someone’s perspective wholeheartedly is always more challenging than just listening to it. First, we need to accept that we can be wrong too. If we embrace this, we will genuinely consider others' strategies because our ultimate goal is to scale, not to win in strategy debates. Business thrives on strategic experimentation—there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It varies based on numerous factors like the business model, finances, costs, etc. I believe maintaining a balance by using a mix of strategies is the right approach. However, a mixed strategy is not the final destination. Start small, experiment, and figure out what works best!

The first step in resolving disagreements is to ensure a respectful and open space for conversation. I make sure to set aside time specifically to discuss each perspective in detail, away from the hustle of daily work. During these discussions, I encourage honesty and make it clear that everyone’s opinions matter. By listening carefully and letting each co-founder explain their views without cutting them off, we create a setting where ideas can be discussed calmly and constructively.

Other than doing standard things like 'listening carefully' and 'understanding each other' etc which are important, I would say just give the decision some time. Sleep over it. Sometimes your opinion may change over time or your co-founder may start agreeing with you. Make it more of an ongoing discussion than something which needs a decision there and then (if appropriate).

The co-founders should sit together and have an open dialogue. They could agree on merging the best parts of both plans (if they could work well together) since escalating it to a full-blown argument isn't the best thing.