Meet Dr. Matthew Jones | Cofounder Coach & Licensed Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Matthew Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Matthew, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Most outsiders remain ignorant of the true cause of cofounder conflict. As a licensed psychologist who has spent the last six years working with cofounders to improve their communication, teamwork, and decision-making, I have observed the difference between high-performing teams and everyone else is not an absence of conflict. High-performing teams implement tools to navigate conflict more effectively.

Conflict is inevitable—part of the human condition. Differences can be leveraged to improve decision-making and company outcomes, however, tolerating this tension and creating a structure for it to be contained is challenging for emerging leaders.

I have observed the true cause of conflict in most business settings is speaking different languages. I built a tool to help simply team dynamics based on psychological principles called Founder-Language Fit. This model highlights three languages all teams speak: Operational, Psychological, and Archetypal. Operational language is the default for most teams. It involves rational decision-making, tends to have a faster cadence, and appears straightforward. Psychological language is the language of emotions. It requires slower, more deliberate engagement and a new set of tools most founders do not yet possess. Archetypal language is the language of the unconscious. It involves “the vibes” or what psychoanalysts call intersubjectivity. The vibe between you and your partner, in other words, is a palpable communication about the health of the partnership.

As a cofounder coach, it is my job to normalize conflict and help teams develop a clear framework to manage differences as they emerge. I do this by helping teams build shared knowledge and skills for Psychological language, then using these frameworks to address unspoken expectations that remain out of their awareness in business.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am most excited about continuing to build the category of cofounder coaching.

When coaching first hit mainstream in corporate America, it was a form of punishment. Let’s be honest, coaching was for the “troubled exec” who needed hand-holding because their behavior was having a negative impact on the organization. This quickly changed.

Executive coaching transformed Fortune 500 companies as more and more leaders discovered investing in their mental and emotional wellbeing improved their execution. Coaching is now a $20 billion-dollar industry. This same trend is taking place in high-growth startups.

Cofounder coaching is the most important emerging category of coaching serving founders, cofounders, and entrepreneurs.

Where executive coaching prioritizes an individual (and the best interest of the company), Cofounder Coaching emphasizes improving the alignment between cofounders in service of the organization’s mission.

This is distinct from couple’s therapy, which lacks expertise in business and does not understand the mental and relational shifts that must take place in founding teams as the company scales.

Cofounder coaching complements one-on-one work with executive coaches, therapists, and peer groups. It protects the most vital relationship in your company so it can continue evolving.

If you do not scale as a leader, you will be replaced. The same is true of your cofounding partnership: If you do not build new tools to improve your communication, teamwork, and decision-making, it will end. One of you will exit, and you will risk becoming one of the 65 percent of high-potential startups that fail due to cofounder fallout.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Eat dinner in the Highlands, go for a hike somewhere off of I-70 West.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My career took a left turn while studying for my doctorate in Clinical Psychology. While I was immersed in psychodynamic theories and writing a dissertation on Nondual Psychology, two of my closest friends started a company together. I saw how building it into a multimillion dollar success took a toll on their mental and physical health. I saw, up close and personal, how the complicated dynamic of being friends-turned-business partners contributed to interpersonal challenges that threatened the business and their friendship. Thank you to Cole and Drew for my initiation into the world of cofounder coaching.

Website: https://cofounderclarity.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-matthew-jones-7a832a37/