Mark Suster says it best: Startups breakdown because of founder in-fighting. What we’ve been saying for years! Here are some key points of his:

But there is no such thing as “no politics” since we’re human beings and we’re genetically wired for politics. It’s called social interaction and understanding peoples’ motives, what makes them tick, who they don’t get along with, what rivalries exist, etc. is a very important part of being a leader.

It’s why I wrote a post outlining why the job of a CEO is often “chief psychologist” – especially if the company grows beyond 20 employees.

He includes lots of great examples of partnerships breaking down, including some of the less-known ones (Foursquare).

Worth the read in its entirety.