Key Questions for Choosing a Co-Founder
Choosing a co-founder is about more than just their professional skills; it’s about how well you connect and work together. By exploring these actions, co-founders can better understand each other’s communication styles, values, and ways of handling conflict, which can strengthen their partnership.
Since 65% of startups fail due to co-founder disputes, it’s clear that stress can strain these relationships. Finding the right co-founder and considering coaching or therapy can create a strong foundation, which is crucial for achieving your goals.
The following twenty questions are a good starting point for your initial conversations. They can help you understand each other’s personalities and how you might work together.
Ask: Are you comfortable asking for help and expressing your needs? Co-founders should be open about what they need and ask for help when necessary.
Take: How do you share your ideas and space? A good partnership involves mutual respect and the confidence to share thoughts.
Receive: How do you handle feedback, surprises, or support? Being open to help and constructive criticism is key to growth and collaboration.
Offer: Do you give freely, or only when asked? Understanding each other’s generosity and willingness to exceed expectations fosters a cooperative environment.
Recognize: How do you deal with mistakes and offer apologies? Owning up to mistakes and sincerely apologizing builds trust and respect.
Deny: Can you set boundaries and say no when needed? Knowing when to decline requests or set limits is essential for maintaining balance and avoiding burnout.
Play: How do you balance taking risks with staying secure? Successfully navigating a startup requires balancing risk and stability.
The goal is to explore how potential cofounders interact, handle stress, and celebrate success. These human aspects are just as important as any business skills.
Carnellia Ajasin, is CEO of Futuryst, Inc - a tech & innovation venture studio. We're making the difference we want to see in the world through building humanity-centered tech products and experiences that people love by applying emerging technology as an insightful medium. We love co-creating products that improve life, making access to capital equitable for scalability and creating new ecosystems. Work with Futuryst to help you scale your technology products, contact us for more details www.futuryst.co or support@futuryst.co