helpmehnkenobi

I'll be the first to admit, I am a bad manager. But sales I can do probably as well as my partner.

In hindsight, I should have just fired the designer. But I was trying to be a good partner and go to him with my issues first. He agreed and said he would take care of it.

I think I've downplayed how much power he's given this person. Not just design of marketing stuff, but actual product UI design. Plus a lot marketing/budgeting decisions, etc. Basically this person has become or directed the entire face of our company. For whatever reason, despite no sales growth, my partner hangs on and defends this person's every decision.

If it matters, I'll add that this person is a woman. My partner has assured me that they are not in a romantic relationship and have simply become extremely close friends. I believe him–but many people on the outside get the impression they are romantically involved.

We were close friends and had a previous business together. So, we'd been through it all. He has good organizational skills and stays on top of all the accounting/tax/HR crap. But that's all (yes, I know that's not much but I didn't know better).

To be honest, we started at just the right time in a growing niche and money was easy for a while. We have a lot of competitors now and technology has changed a lot.

Hope that answers your questions.