Founder Fallout

Founder Fallout by Jeremy Barker — 100 Must-Ask Questions Before You Share the Equity

Founder Fallout is the new book by Jeremy Barker — founder of Murphy Door, four-time Inc. 5000 honoree, Utah Business CEO of the Year (2026), and EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. It's a no-theory, scars-on-the-table playbook of 100 questions every founder needs to ask before signing a partnership agreement, taking an investor check, or splitting the cap table.

Most founder books are written by people who got it right the first time. This one is not.

Why read Founder Fallout?

• Hard-earned — written after two bankruptcies, a stint sleeping in a truck, lost equity, and the wrong partners, before the win.
• Operator-tested — the same questions that took Murphy Door from a borrowed garage to $60M+ in annual revenue and eleven companies running in parallel.
• Decision-grade — 100 specific questions you can use in a real conversation with a co-founder, investor, or partner this week.
• Not theory — no frameworks, no buzzwords, no "lean canvas." Just the questions Jeremy wishes someone had handed him at 25.
• Author credibility — Inc. 5000 (4x), Fortune, Good Housekeeping, Utah Business CEO of the Year 2026, EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Book details

• Title: Founder Fallout
• Subtitle: 100 Must-Ask Questions Before You Share the Equity
• Author: Jeremy Barker
• Format: Book (see variants for available formats)
• Topics: Startups, partnerships, equity, co-founder agreements, cap tables, leadership, entrepreneurship
• Best for: First-time founders, second-time founders, operators evaluating equity deals, investors who want to understand founder risk
• Ships from: Ogden, Utah, USA (United States & Canada shipping)

What's inside Founder Fallout

• The 12 questions Jeremy asks before any equity conversation.
• Why every co-founder agreement should be written as if you already hate each other.
• The partnership red flags he missed twice — and how to spot them in 10 minutes.
• How to value sweat equity without lying to yourself or your partner.
• The investor questions that separate smart money from expensive money.
• The questions that exposed the partners who would have saved the company — and the ones who burned it.

Who Founder Fallout is for

This book is built for the first-time founder about to sign a co-founder agreement, the second-time founder who refuses to repeat the same equity mistakes, the operator evaluating a job offer with a meaningful equity component, and the investor or advisor who wants a sharper lens on founder risk. It also makes a high-signal gift for entrepreneurs, MBA students, accelerator cohorts, and anyone in a startup ecosystem.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jeremy Barker?
Jeremy Barker is the founder behind Murphy Door, a four-time Inc. 5000 honoree, Utah Business CEO of the Year (2026), and an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist. He grew Murphy Door from a borrowed garage into a $60M+ annual revenue business while running eleven companies in parallel.

What is Founder Fallout about?
It's a practical, story-driven book of 100 must-ask questions every founder should ask before sharing equity — with co-founders, partners, or investors. It's built from two bankruptcies, hard losses, and the eventual wins that followed.

Is Founder Fallout a how-to book or a memoir?
Both. It blends Jeremy's personal founder story — including the bankruptcies, the truck, and the climb to $60M — with 100 specific, usable questions you can take into your next equity conversation.

Who should read Founder Fallout?
First-time and second-time founders, co-founders, startup operators, accelerator and MBA students, angel investors, and advisors. Anyone about to sign a partnership agreement or split a cap table will get the most immediate value.

What makes this book different from other startup books?
Most founder books are written by people who got it right the first time. Founder Fallout is written by someone who didn't — and then did. It is question-driven instead of framework-driven, designed to be used in real conversations rather than highlighted and shelved.

Where does Founder Fallout ship from?
The book ships from Ogden, Utah, USA. Shipping is currently available within the United States and Canada via JeremyBarker.com.

Is there a digital or audio version?
Check the available variants on this page for current formats. Additional formats may be released as the book rolls out.

If you're about to share equity with anyone — read this first.