I have had a number of co-founders. Some good. Some not so good. And a few great… actually amazing co-founders that I now consider family. As you point out one measure is the ability to help pick others up when they hit the wall. And in any startup worth it’s weight in ramen noodles, it will occur often.

The better ones caught the vision and my passion early and were always at the ready to peddle it back at me at the first signs of my buckling under the pressure. As a colleague and co-founder in one adventure (so far) pointed out in his book, Riding the American Dream, Dan Hanlon tells how important it is that everyone in the organization be an “A Player” for it all to work. It is not sufficient, but without the right team, it surely won’t happen. Reminder: Martha Stewart also calls on us to hire the A Team in her book, Martha Stewart Rules.

So, how do you find the best co-founders? Ask. {grin}

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I wrote the book on applying common sense in biz: Purple Curve Effect