Starting a business often feels like stepping into uncharted waters. To make the journey less intimidating, many entrepreneurs naturally turn to the people they trust the most — their friends. Unfortunately, as I learned the hard way, friendship and business rarely mix well.

During the early days of Dial-A-Plumber, my partner, Kayode Ayeni, and I made a decision that would ultimately haunt our venture. Because we were both still holding down day jobs, we needed someone we could trust to manage the company’s daily operations. So, we did what many new entrepreneurs do — we hired one of our closest friends to serve as General Manager.

At the time, it seemed like the perfect solution. We believed our friend’s loyalty and shared vision would make him an ideal leader for our young business. What could possibly go wrong?

As it turns out — a lot.

The Trap of Friendship in Business

The reality hit us faster than we expected. In Nigeria’s business culture, where personal relationships often blur the boundaries between professionalism and emotion, hiring a close friend can quickly become a delicate balancing act.

When our General Manager began making poor decisions and key operational mistakes, we struggled to correct him firmly. We feared being seen as arrogant or condescending. Instead of addressing the problems head-on, we hesitated. Our loyalty and emotional ties clouded our judgment.

The result? Our business began to spiral. The cracks widened, and soon, even my partnership with Kayode was strained. By the time we finally accepted that we needed to take back control, it was too late. Our company — and our friendship — suffered irreversible damage.

The Hard Lesson I Learned

Looking back, the failure of Dial-A-Plumber wasn’t just a result of poor strategy or lack of experience. It was also a result of misplaced trust. We learned that hiring friends or close colleagues as subordinates in your business almost always ends badly — not because they lack competence, but because emotional ties make accountability nearly impossible.

When it came time to confront or discipline our friend, our personal connection held us back. Even he admitted his mistakes, but by then, the damage had been done.

What made this lesson even more painful was that I didn’t fully learn it the first time. In later ventures, I repeated the same mistake — hiring close friends, hoping this time it would be different. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. Each time, the outcome was the same — conflict, resentment, and unnecessary loss.

A Word of Advice to Entrepreneurs

If you’re an entrepreneur reading this and currently considering hiring a close friend, let me save you some heartache — don’t do it.

It’s far better to:

• Help your friend find work elsewhere, or
• Support them in starting their own business, rather than placing them in a position where they report directly to you.

The only exceptions are when your friends are equal partners or investors who are not involved in daily operations. Otherwise, emotions will inevitably cloud objectivity, and accountability will suffer.

The truth is simple: your business needs professionalism more than familiarity. And sometimes, the most loving thing you can do for a friend is to not hire them.

Final Reflection

Every failed business leaves behind valuable lessons — and this was one of the most important ones I’ve ever learned. Dial-A-Plumber may have been a short-lived venture, but its lessons continue to shape my approach to leadership and partnerships today.

If you’re building something great, protect both your friendship and your company by keeping those two worlds separate. Because once business gets in the way of friendship, it’s hard to save either.

Key Takeaway:

Hiring friends feels safe — until accountability becomes necessary.
Choose competence over comfort, and professionalism over personal ties.