Serious question, why does everyone say to never work with friends?

I just finished a logo project for my friend's new cafe in Austin, and it was the smoothest job I've had all year. We had a clear contract, he paid the $500 deposit up front, and gave great feedback. Am I the only one who thinks the 'never work with friends' rule is wrong if you set clear rules from the start?

4 comments

4 Comments

grace_kelly451mo ago

Totally agree, my buddy paid me for a website last month and it was chill lol.

shane_carter1mo ago

That one good experience is pure luck. The rule exists because money changes even the best friendships. You just haven't hit the problem yet.

williams.luna1mo ago

Come on, that's way too cynical. I've loaned money to friends and had them pay me back for side jobs plenty of times. It's all about being clear up front. Write down what you agree on, even just a text. My friend and I did a simple contract for some design work and it kept everything smooth. Assuming money will ruin everything just shows a lack of trust in your own friends.

colegarcia23d ago

Yeah I actually read this thing from some business blog a while back that said the key is basically treating the project like a real job with real deadlines and real payment terms. They talked about how most people fail because they're too casual about it, like oh it's just my buddy so I'll text him instead of sending a proper invoice. The deposit thing you mentioned is huge too, I think that blog mentioned getting at least 30 percent up front for any friend job to make sure they're serious.