Wil: Thanks for posting this and I believe it is a vital discussion and one that has to be had continuously as it is far from a one time discussion. I believe the conversation needs to happen long before the start-up or any entrepreneurial venture begins. So often as entrepreneurs we dive headlong into our endeavor and then have the conversation - in my case it did not happen until my wife brought it up, something I would change if I could do it again.

If a spouse is constantly at odds with the start-up, it does not mean they are against what we want to do. I find that it typically means they are wanting more of our time, presence and availability, something we should be thankful for. What it means for us, is we need to be more creative in how we accomplish our goals. We need to perhaps be more patient and willing to hear our partner out and think about the time we are putting into our venture versus our relationship.

I have found that it is not our job to "convince" or "preparing". If they are truly a partner, it is our job to listen, to be sensitive and if we are going to ask them to sacrifice, we should at the very least be respectful of their point of view and respond accordingly.