THOUGHT: Work on your relationship with the same fervor as your company or it will fail.
In a startup, it is easy to put coding, or the next VC presentation, before a relationship, telling yourself that "this time, it is important". Other times, the stress of a funding round falling through or an angry customer can be all you can think and talk about.
Over the last five years, things like this have happened a minimum of once a week and usually almost every day, and it always feels like life or death to get them resolved, no matter what other plans existed.
My (now) wife and I spent a significant amount of time in the beginning of our relationship setting expectations and talking about what was going on, both in the company and in our reactions to what was happening. I think one of the key reasons we are still together and exceedingly happy is because of this (In addition to my wife's infinite patience).
We also worked every day to be nicer to each other because of this fact. It is definitely not easy on either person to go through this.
