Manifesto
Why Tobia exists.
Partnerships that last do not avoid difficult questions. They address them at the right time.
The risk nobody measures
A company rarely falls apart because of a bad idea. It falls apart because of agreements that were never really made: words like “together”, “fair” and “full time” mean something different to each person, and nobody ever tested those meanings.
At first, everything seems clear. Then come time, money, equity, responsibilities, power and ownership of the idea. Grey areas do not disappear: they wait until the project has value. A difference discovered today costs a conversation; discovered in two years, it could cost the project.
Trust is essential. Leaving everything unspoken is not. Trust does not mean taking everything for granted: it holds up better when agreements are clear.
The name
The name comes from the Book of Tobit: a story of a journey, trust and an impartial guide who accompanies people without deciding for them.
That is Tobia’s role: to stand beside people as they make an important decision, say what needs to be said before it is too late, and always leave the final word to them.
What we believe
Nobody joins as a customer: you all participate as equals. The person who opens the table does not control the process, the person who pays does not buy a better outcome, and nobody sees others’ answers in advance.
Separate answers reveal the truth better than meetings. In a group, differences stay hidden out of politeness, pressure or enthusiasm. Alone, answering the same question, each person says what they really think.
Tobia sheds light; it does not pass judgment. It shows agreements, differences and scenarios. It does not issue verdicts about people or promise a perfect match, because a perfect match does not exist.
What you write remains yours. The data belongs to the people who provide it: a process that holds people captive would not be neutral.
What Tobia is not
It is not a compatibility test, and it does not label people. It is not a law firm, and it does not replace a lawyer: it prepares the ground so professionals can work better and faster. It is not a judge: it is the impartial third party between meeting and agreement.
Nor does it promise that everything will turn out well. It removes some of the risk of building together without knowing on what basis. The rest, as always, is yours.
Before the business plan, check the plan you have for one another.
If you are building something together that could become a company, it is time to talk about it.