Great post. Almost all startups will eventually fail and having the wrong partner/advisor/cofounder next to you is a huge contributing factor! Awesome Chris!
So so true. It's best to be intentional about all the people you surround yourself with. Some of those choices are the most critical ie like a Co-Founder ā thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom
Both statements - totally true. It's amazing when Founders are adding a CEO as that's when you really see them making a major mistake ie choosing the wrong one for the wrong reasons. Frequently they make a personal decision (someone they feel "comfortable with" ) vs a business decision (someone who'll fill the "execution void" ). Thanks for sharing Daniel āØ
Chris, you are describing structural engineering, not a relationship.
Most founders treat this selection process like dating, seeking chemistry and dopamine. This is a fatal error. You need to treat it like physics.
The "Values" you mention are actually Vectors. If Founder A is building for a 3-year Exit (Velocity) and Founder B is building for Generational Control (Mass), the divergence doesn't just stall the company, it tears the cap table apart.
Friendship is a luxury. Mechanical alignment is a necessity.
I've backed plenty but always feel like it's an even more impossible path for them. The odds are insanely short to be successful with a killer founding team and so solo simply makes the transitions from zero to category king even shorter. But it hasn't ultimately stopped me backing them. I've also created a mentoring program for them - https://better-operating-rxhop21.gamma.site/ - 5xFoundersClub - it's not exclusively for solo founders but 3 of the current 4 are solo. I'm have a slot open for the 5th and some shortlisted
Such a great article and very timely for the new year for folks looking to start a business! Your point about respect over friendship is paramount! If you donāt have respect, you have nothing.
Respect is the glue that gets you through the self created crisis's. And "getting over one selves" - humans are a complicated species prone to introspection. In a founder conflict that introspection amps up 10x and can rage when it's almost always unnecessary or solvable āØ thanks for sharing
Very few. The human hardware software combination btw founders ie skills, clock speed, IQ, EQ and all the other Qs have to come together to figure it out
Great post. Almost all startups will eventually fail and having the wrong partner/advisor/cofounder next to you is a huge contributing factor! Awesome Chris!
So so true. It's best to be intentional about all the people you surround yourself with. Some of those choices are the most critical ie like a Co-Founder ā thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom
Having a cofounder is a great way to spread the load for work and skills. Having the right cofounder is even more important.
Both statements - totally true. It's amazing when Founders are adding a CEO as that's when you really see them making a major mistake ie choosing the wrong one for the wrong reasons. Frequently they make a personal decision (someone they feel "comfortable with" ) vs a business decision (someone who'll fill the "execution void" ). Thanks for sharing Daniel āØ
Finding the right cofounder is probably the most important decision. If your goals aren't aligned, it's going to be a REAL struggle.
2 biggest wealth creators - the right life partner and the right business partner(s) š²š
Chris, you are describing structural engineering, not a relationship.
Most founders treat this selection process like dating, seeking chemistry and dopamine. This is a fatal error. You need to treat it like physics.
The "Values" you mention are actually Vectors. If Founder A is building for a 3-year Exit (Velocity) and Founder B is building for Generational Control (Mass), the divergence doesn't just stall the company, it tears the cap table apart.
Friendship is a luxury. Mechanical alignment is a necessity.
I really like how you've framed it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience ā
Choosing the right person is likely more important than a lot of the technical decisions founders make!
I bow to your wisdom Karen on the technical choices! But it sounds true IMHO ā
Do you believe in solo founders?
I've backed plenty but always feel like it's an even more impossible path for them. The odds are insanely short to be successful with a killer founding team and so solo simply makes the transitions from zero to category king even shorter. But it hasn't ultimately stopped me backing them. I've also created a mentoring program for them - https://better-operating-rxhop21.gamma.site/ - 5xFoundersClub - it's not exclusively for solo founders but 3 of the current 4 are solo. I'm have a slot open for the 5th and some shortlisted
It feels like adjusting the steering wheel after the car has already drifted.
A small delay early creates a much bigger correction later.
These missteps might show up differently across the voices:
Nurturers overprotect relationships at the cost of clarity.
Guardians wait for certainty that never comes.
Creatives keep options open too long.
Connectors seek alignment before direction is set.
Pioneers move fast and assume correction will come later.
Naming the voice helps founders slow the moment just enough to choose well.
Thanks for sharing James š
Such a great article and very timely for the new year for folks looking to start a business! Your point about respect over friendship is paramount! If you donāt have respect, you have nothing.
Respect is the glue that gets you through the self created crisis's. And "getting over one selves" - humans are a complicated species prone to introspection. In a founder conflict that introspection amps up 10x and can rage when it's almost always unnecessary or solvable āØ thanks for sharing
A field manual built from scars is far more useful than another founder theory book.
Thanks John. Happy Birthday š
The point about respect over friendship is huge...& Frameworks like this are helpful...
I'll be interested to see how many people actually sit down and have these "hard conversations" before they sign the paperwork.
Very few. The human hardware software combination btw founders ie skills, clock speed, IQ, EQ and all the other Qs have to come together to figure it out