I was the toxic one

I had a cofounder situation fall apart last year. I spent months telling the story from my side. How they didn't communicate. How they lost motivation. How they left me carrying everything.

Then I talked to someone who knew us both. They gave me a different version. Not biased. Just different. And in that version, I was the one who stopped listening. I was the one who made every decision without asking. I was the one who made it impossible to contribute.

I didn't see it at the time. I was too busy being right.

I'm not saying I was entirely wrong. But I was definitely not entirely right either. I'd been telling myself a story where I was the victim because that story was easier to live with.

I don't know if I'll ever work with a cofounder again. But if I do, I'll remember that the person telling me I'm difficult might be seeing something I can't.

Have you ever realized you were the problem in a relationship or partnership? How did you handle it? Did you try to fix it or just move on?