Choosing the wrong collaborator can destroy a company, Codie Sanchez said in a blog post about the stakes of selecting business partners.

“Choosing the wrong business partner is like entering business hell,” Sanchez wrote. “I’ve done it twice. Each time I had to buy out my partner, and it wasn’t cheap.” She added, “Problem is, most business builders hire like they’re staffing a youth soccer team. ‘Let’s get more players on the field!’ Cool. Now you’ve got 11 toddlers chasing the same ball. You don’t need more people. You need the right people.”

Sanchez warned that poor hiring choices are often driven by insecurity, rushed growth, or unclear vision. She urged business owners to evaluate whether their partners actually complement their skills or simply mirror them.

According to research from Harvard Business School, around 65% of high-potential startups fail due to co-founder conflict—often rooted in mismatched values, unclear roles, or ego clashes.

Codie Sanchez is the founder of Contrarian Thinking, an investment media company focused on buying “boring” businesses and promoting financial independence through entrepreneurship.