Great post, fun read. It's great to have a team where everyone contributes even if it includes cleaning up the office space and throwing out the trash.
A lot of startups are based on technical ideas. I for one, love those articles where someone describes their startup experience, the more drama the better. As a programmer getting into a new startup, Hacker News is the best outlet to stay up to date on new technologies, opinions, real world tech news, and sharing personal experiences.
When you work in or travel to another country speaking another language that you don't know, it feels like you are really left out. Doing anything requires more effort. You feel lost and confused. Not understanding when your coworkers speak their language eventually becomes frustrating. Of course in this case, you're out for an adventure and new learning experiences, so it's not the same as actually be physically deaf.
Easier said than done. You've never been deaf, so how would you know? Even if you try to imagine being in their footsteps, it's not the same. I definitely can't imagine myself living in complete silence. If you live in silence, the isolation will probably make any normal person depressed.
Interesting movie, I actually just blogged about what I got from the movie. I guess entrepreneurship didn't cross my mind, but a more generic term, "commitment."
Actually this is very common in many organizations. I hear many friends complain about their managers. It's a tough situation to be in. The part where the manager gets all the credit for work you've done, just isn't fair. Sometimes, I've heard good managers tell you to face the situation face on with that "bad" manager. If he/she doesn't change the situation, you go up to his/her manager, etc. However, it's not easy to do that, and how you do it may just make you look bad. Most companies should have feedback and review times, so that should be a good opportunity to raise issues. I think the root of the problem is to screen carefully when hiring the individual. Make sure the candidate goes through many cases studies properly or even go on a 3 months probation period. I also know big companies usually have leadership conferences or training seminars to keep the employees up to date. I took a course before, and realized I wasn't ready to lead. Not everyone can admit to that, when they have big egos or cocky attitudes. I'm curious to see what you and your buddy are building. Best of luck with your project.