The end. A difficult letter

This is the reply to Sophia, after she said she and Mike decided to pull out of the business.

If that is what you wish, fine. When I said '10%' it was to make you realize that we have not yet spoken in concrete details. It has always been 'according to the investment,' but we don't know how much money is needed!

After thinking more about it, I realized that what I hoped was that Mike, if he moved here, would have enough money to live on without needing money from the business, for a year. But if he is expecting to get income from the bakery in the first year, then yes, we have nothing to talk about. That is just not a good model to work with. Perhaps it is the Chinese way, perhaps it explains why so many businesses open and close so quickly. I have seen it so many times since 2001, businesses opening and closing in a year or less, that I can almost predict now, when I see a new business open, how long it will last.

You are still telling me that I don't know the bread market. It is not that we don't understand each other, it is that we have totally different ideas about a bakery. As I have said over and over again, there is no market out there for what I am creating. It is not surprising that you are uncomfortable with doing something different, out of the mold, out of the ordinary. I understand the Chinese culture deeply enough to find this totally predictable. If I let you two have a controlling interest in the business, I will be wasting my time. The end result will be just one more 85 degrees or Dasalea with one or two specialties. That's not what I want. Apparently, I know more than what you think I know.

It is disappointing the way you have manipulated this situation. You brought Mike in without explaining to me what you intended, then you cut him out by interpreting to him your own misunderstandings of the situation. This is all too unfortunate.

Sophia, I really didn't want to have this conversation by email, as I said in my last email. I hope you will not be upset with me. I think you are amazing, I really do. You are my friend, and I don't want this to interfere with that. Yes, I am disappointed that it might not work out, and I know you are too. But we should still have our friendship. You have great, dynamic energy that will bear great fruit one day. You are a unique person, and I appreciate that about you.