Partnering Up! Find a Co-Founder for Your Startup

Want To Up Your Chances Of Success? Find A Co-Founder

You will hear this advice again and again. We’re not going to tell you that you can’t do it on your own, but we will join the crowd and say that finding a co-founder is probably a good idea. At least at some point on your startup quest.

5 reasons why you should find a co-founder

Working with a co-founder means you're not carrying everything on your own. The mental strain of major decisions, the hours poured in, the financial risk, those 3 a.m. spirals, the deep disappointments, and naturally the wins too, all of it gets divided between two people instead of resting on one. With the weight shared rather than shouldered alone, burnout stops feeling inevitable, anxiety turns into something you can actually handle, and that nagging voice pushing you to quit carries less weight.

2. Co-founding teams grow their customer base three times as fast as solo-founded startups, according to Startup Genome.

3. Co-founding teams are less likely to scale too quickly

4. Startups with more than one founder generally appeal more to investorsAccording to First Round’s 10 Year Project report, startups with two or more founders get a 25% higher seed valuation than startups with solo founders.

5. Co-founded startups massively outperforms solo founded ones – by 163% the same report states.

Convinced you need a co-founder? Here’s what to look for

So far, so good. We can’t tell you who to choose or when to do it, but we can tell you this much: it’s better to spend more time finding the right co-founder than rushing out to find any co-founder. When you do decide to go look for your partner in crime and fortune, here’s what to keep in mind:

Find someone who compliments you, not someone who is you

If you know business, find someone who knows technology. If you’re most comfortable speaking to as few people as possible during your workday, find someone who’s in love with people, someone who can handle the pitching, networking and sales. Professional skills and experience aren’t everything. In fact, hiring for skills will kill your startup if that’s all you’re looking for. Look instead for people with high motivation, strong work ethics and personalities that mesh with yours.

Find someone you would trust with your bank account

We’re not saying that you have to give anyone the password to your bank account. But then again, we kind of are. At least you should find a co-founder you would trust enough to do so – if you have to.

Find someone who’s ready for risks, but who makes everything seem less risky

Winning in the Game of Startups means having to take risks. A lot of risks. Make sure you find a co-founder, who’s ready for that. At the same time, find someone reliable and responsible. Investors value reliability, honesty and trustworthiness more than overconfidence and risk willingness – and so should you.

Find someone you could (almost) see yourself marrying

Starting a business demands real sacrifice, and plenty of days won't feel rewarding at all. Your co-founder will witness you during your worst moments—the unglamorous ones you'd rather not share with anyone. Yet a true partner stays regardless, remaining present even when everything seems to be falling apart. And that commitment isn't one-sided. It resembles a solid marriage, minus the romantic element.

Places You Can Find Your Co-Founder

Here are a couple of places you can look…

Your network

Your own network is an excellent first stop when searching for a co-founder. These are people you already know, so you have some idea of what they do well and where they fall short, and perhaps you've even seen their less attractive sides. The person you need could well be among them.

Go to networking events

If you don’t know anyone who would be a bad ass co-founder, maybe it’s time to expand that network of yours. For that purpose networking events are great. Go meet some awesome people!

Swipe your way through

If you’re more into online dating, you’re not the only one. There are a lot of sites out there, dedicated to help you find co-founders online.