Founder Guidance

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: Julie Griggs and Danielle Dietzek

In 2022, friends Danielle Dietzek and Julie Griggs quit their full-time jobs in healthcare, became roommates to save money, and started to work on their vision together: a double-dating app they named Fourplay.

Initial success came quickly. The two first-time founders signed up users with viral videos on TikTok and raised almost $800,000 in pre-seed and seed rounds. But, stronger headwinds were to come.

Social media content started to lag. Competition for investment increased with the rise of AI startups. Investors changed their tune.

After an unsuccessful attempt at raising another round, the company was on life support. In the fall of 2025, Dietzek asked Griggs for a sit-down talk in their Upper East Side apartment: She’d be leaving the company and suggested sunsetting the business altogether. Griggs agreed.

Now, they’re moving on from their business, with Griggs planning on moving on from their apartment. The two have both returned to healthcare roles and are experiencing an “exhale” post-founder life.

The duo shared with Founder Brew how it all ended—why they shut down, how much money they should’ve raised, the hidden job function of every founder, and what kind of personality it takes to make it.

Danielle, why did you tell Julie it was time to shut down the company?

Danielle Dietzek: To make it healthcare related, I felt like Fourplay was getting palliative care. At some point you have to say, and I did say, “You’re keeping the patient alive. We have to do the right thing, and we can’t keep the patient alive forever.”

Julie Griggs: This is why you don’t let family operate on family, right?

Dietzek: I felt the only way the business would be able to pass peacefully would be if I told her I was leaving, and that is exactly what happened.

Griggs: Had Danielle not resigned when she did, and had I not started that process when I did, we would have been screwed.

How much did it cost to close the company?

Dietzek: Between $10,000 and $15,000. I definitely think it’s worth it for founders to know that. It’s not free to shut down your business.

Read more about Danielle and Julie’s decision to shut down their startup.—DL

      

Sponsored By Capital One Business

Adele Gambardella managed corporate disasters before they hit the headlines. Chip Massey negotiated hostage situations as an FBI agent. Neither expected to start a company together. But they discovered negotiators and crisis pros run on the same playbook—different rooms, same pressure. That became The Convincing Company.

The real proof of concept wasn’t the UN keynote or the 200+ TV hits. It was eight years ago, when they booked an NYC workshop venue on a Capital One Business card before a single ticket sold. That night sold out.

Now they’ve built The Convincing Lab: a quiz that shows how you actually perform under pressure, based on real crisis methodology, not theory. Take the quiz to see how you’d hold up.

Adele and Chip started their business at a dinner party. Capital One Business can help wherever you are in your journey.

The Financials

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: Tarzine Jackson, Candica Bazzmore, Desiree Anyasado via LinkedIn

Venture capital isn’t only for Silicon Valley.

But founders around the country may think that as they navigate a venture capital market that remains difficult to break into, especially for founders who don’t fit a stereotypical background. A 2019 Harvard Kennedy School study showed that women-founded companies received just 2.4% of venture capital funding on average over the past 30 years.

VCs and startup hubs outside of traditional locales are attempting to bridge that divide and connect funding opportunities with local entrepreneurs.

In August, Founder Brew visited Atlanta Tech Village for its Women & Tech meetup hosted by two Georgia-based venture capitalists. While there, we spoke with founders and investors about unexpected fundraising challenges, what founders should seek out when choosing an investor, and how businesses of all sizes can benefit from backing.

Read more about the Atlanta Tech Village meetup.—JH

      

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Per BCG’s latest survey, quality still beats price, while AI gains influence.

Eyeing employee perks: How big of a deal is flexible pay? (HR Brew)

Learn about the financial perk that’s helping set companies apart in the hiring market.

Sponsored By Capital One Business

Workshop on a rewards card. Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey, crisis PR pro and hostage negotiator, respectively, built The Convincing Company from a dinner party conversation. They used their Capital One Business card to book their first NYC workshop. Now they guide heads of state on dealing with high pressure. No journey is too big or too small.

Stat: 27%. That’s the percentage that some restaurants report merch sales accounts for their monthly revenue. A brand name can be make-or-break in an industry with thin margins. (Bloomberg)

Quote: “We think founders are smarter than VCs, so if there’s enough founders in a space, we think it’s an investible space.”—Martin Casado, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner, on the swing back to hardware. (the Wall Street Journal)

Read: Jack Schwartz started monetizing high school parties and “after-prom” events as a teen in Los Angeles. Now, he’s spun his network into the city’s hottest events app. (Wired)

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