Are your communication skills killing your startup’s chances of success?

Get Great at Having the Hard Conversations So You and Your Business Can Thrive

As a business coach, I work with so many founders and startup teams who are incredible, smart, inspiring, and determined. They live, eat, and breathe their ventures. They tirelessly tweak their pitch, face rejection, and take emotional and financial risks that would leave most people trembling under the covers.

So why, in spite of this tremendous courage, do I consistently hear that great ideas die on the vine?

Because people aren’t having courageous conversations.

When Avoidance Becomes the Enemy

At a conference this week for female founders, I heard story after story of struggle due to:

• Misunderstanding

• Miscommunication

• Hidden agendas

• Or simply the avoidance of hard conversations

Founders admitted they were cautious about talking openly with investors. Power plays emerged between team members. Disagreements went unresolved. And little by little, trust eroded.

No pitch deck can cover for broken communication. When trust falters, even the most promising ideas stall.

Why This Matters to Leaders and Investors Alike

I’ve also had conversations with VCs who say, “We’ll be their coaches. We’ll mentor them.” And yes, financial mentors are critical. But when the conversations inside a company stop, so does momentum.

For leaders, whether you’re a founder, an executive, or an investor, the real risk isn’t just market conditions or competition. It’s a culture where important things go unsaid.

That’s why communication isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a survival skill.

A Practical Way Forward: The CORE Conversation Framework

Hard conversations don’t need to feel like landmines. With structure, they become opportunities for clarity, trust, and alignment. That’s where the CORE Conversation Framework comes in:

C – Clarify the issue
Be specific about what needs to be discussed and why it matters to the business. Ambiguity fuels tension; clarity builds confidence.

O – Own your perspective
Speak from your experience. Use “I’ve noticed…” instead of “You always…” to keep the focus on the issue, not the person.

R – Respond with curiosity
Invite the other person to share their perspective. Ask questions. Listen actively. Leaders who listen well earn trust.

E – Explore next steps together
Don’t stop at identifying the problem. Collaboratively define what happens next, so everyone leaves the conversation aligned.

The Payoff of Courageous Conversations

When leaders adopt a framework like CORE, tough conversations stop being something to dread and start being the engine for progress. Teams gain:

• Faster alignment on priorities

• Stronger trust between co-founders, investors, and employees

• Resilience to navigate setbacks without losing momentum

Because here’s the truth: startups and scaling businesses don’t fail for lack of ideas. They fail for lack of conversations.

Your Next Step

If you’ve noticed that communication is breaking down—or that issues aren’t being spoken about—that’s your signal to invest in the most important asset of your business: you and your team.