What Everyone Gets Wrong About Finding a Great Startup Co-Founder
Great founding teams are critical for startup success, but the best teams probably look different than you think
I was speaking with a startup founder who was struggling to find a co-founder. “I just can’t seem to find someone I really like,” he said. “I can’t imagine spending the next 10 years of my life working with any of the people I’ve met. We don’t have anything in common.”
“Why does that matter?” I asked.
“Investors always talk about the importance of investing in great teams,” he answered. “So I want to make sure I have the best team possible.”
“It is important to have a great team,” I replied. “But how does that relate to having things in common with your co-founders?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Everyone always describes a good co-founder relationship as being like a marriage. Isn’t that what makes a marriage good? The people have to get along really well.”
I laughed as I realized the issue. He’d misunderstood a common statement in the startup world that, personally, I’ve always disagreed with. People often describe the relationship between startup co-founders as being like a marriage. Heck, if you’ve had a co-founder for…
