The Day I Hated My Friend
What started as discomfort became one of the most valuable friendships of my life.
The Day I Hated My Friend
Lesson: From Hate to Brotherhood
The first time I met Eric Liu -who is now one of my closest friends, I hated him. A mutual friend introduced us, and Eric showed up at my house the same day. We ended up sitting on my patio for hours while he grilled me: What do you do? What’s your profit margin? What are your unit economics? I felt insecure, exposed, and defensive. Then he dropped a line that flipped everything: “I don’t care how much you make. But if we’re going to be friends I need to know, because either I help you get to my level, or you help me get to yours.” That sentence changed the way I see friendship, business and life.
Insight: Radical Transparency Builds Real Relationships
Most of us keep money and business close to the chest, even with friends. But what I realized that day is that true relationships, whether personal or professional, require transparency. By laying everything out on the table, you create trust, accountability, and growth. With Eric, what started as discomfort became one of the most valuable friendships of my life. Because he wasn’t competing with me, he was inviting me to grow with him.
Action Item: Have One Direct Conversation
This week, pick someone in your circle and push for radical honesty:
- Choose a person: a peer, friend, or partner you trust.
- Bring one uncomfortable topic: money, goals, fears, or challenges.
- Lean into the discomfort: listen, share, and use the moment to build deeper trust.
Who’s the Eric in your life, the person willing to be direct and push you to grow? If you don’t have one, go find them.
Hear more and watch the clip from Young on LinkedIn
