The Partnership Book
FounderFallout
The 100 questions every founder should ask before splitting the company. Written by an operator who learned the hard way, twice.
By Jeremy G. Barker · Founder of Murphy Door · 7x Inc. 5000 · Utah Business CEO of the Year 2026 honoree
Inside the Book
Six Questions From the First Chapter
Every partnership has a quiet shelf life. These are the questions that decide who survives it.
- 01
Would I still partner with this person if the company failed tomorrow?
- 02
Are we splitting equity for the work already done, or for the work still coming?
- 03
If my partner quit in ninety days, how much of my company would they own?
- 04
When we disagree and cannot agree, who actually has the final call?
- 05
If one of us wants out, what is the exact price and process to make it happen?
- 06
When this partnership ends, what survives. The friendship or the company?
Plus 94 more questions inside the book. Get the First Five as a free PDF.
What's In It
A Field Manual, Not a Business Book
Founder Fallout is a working document. It is meant to sit on the table between two people who are about to sign an operating agreement, not on a nightstand as a Sunday read. Every question was earned. Most cost me money, time, or a friendship, and a few cost me all three.
The book is organized into ten sections that map to the real order in which partnership disputes actually detonate. Trust before terms. Terms before signatures. Signatures before the first hire. First hire before the first hard month. And so on, until you reach the section nobody wants to write, which is what to do when you already ignored the first nine.
Who this is for. Founders considering a co-founder. Existing partners who never wrote real terms. Investors trying to diligence a two-founder cap table. Attorneys drafting the boilerplate that will actually get invoked in the fight. Anyone who has ever said the words we will figure it out later.
Who this is not for. Solo founders with no plans to bring anyone in. People looking for equity split percentages by industry. Anyone who wants the story of a partnership that worked. This book is about the ones that did not.
About the Author
Jeremy G. Barker
Founder and CEO of Murphy Door. Operates seventeen American companies across manufacturing, real estate, media, and software. Three American plants in Ogden UT, Lexington KY, and Rigby ID.
Seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree. Utah Business CEO of the Year 2026 honoree. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 Mountain West Finalist. Fortune Most Innovative Companies. Twenty years in fire service, still active.
Bankrupt twice before Murphy Door. Started with a $5,000 truck. Wrote Founder Fallout because four partnerships taught him the questions the first four never asked.
On Sale Now
Founder Fallout
Buy direct to save $4.96. Choose Amazon if you prefer Amazon checkout. Paperback · 567 pages · Published June 26, 2025 · ISBN 979-8-288-73990-3
Questions
Founder Fallout questions and answers
What is Founder Fallout by Jeremy Barker?
Founder Fallout is a 100-question partnership workbook written by Jeremy Barker, founder of Murphy Door and a seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree. It is a field manual for founders on the exact questions to ask before splitting equity, signing an operating agreement, or bringing on a co-founder.
When was Founder Fallout published?
Founder Fallout was published in June 2025 (first edition, independently published). The 567-page paperback (published June 26, 2025) is available at shop.jeremybarker.com for $24.99 and on Amazon for $29.95 under ASIN B0FFT83WJS. A Kindle edition (published June 20, 2025) is available on Amazon under ASIN B0FF2NX5SC.
Who should read Founder Fallout?
First-time founders considering a co-founder, existing partners who never wrote real terms, and any operator about to split equity with anyone. The book is written for the moment before the paperwork dries, not after the partnership breaks.
How much does Founder Fallout cost?
Founder Fallout paperback is $24.99 direct at shop.jeremybarker.com and $29.95 on Amazon.
Where can I buy Founder Fallout?
Three places. Paperback direct at shop.jeremybarker.com for $24.99. Paperback on Amazon for $29.95, ASIN B0FFT83WJS, ISBN 979-8-288-73990-3. Kindle on Amazon, ASIN B0FF2NX5SC. Buying direct helps most. Buying on Amazon helps the rankings so more founders find it.
Is there a free preview of Founder Fallout?
Yes. The First Five Questions are available as a free PDF at jeremybarker.com/first-five. The PDF covers the five most important questions from the full 100-question workbook.