Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard.
When we think of ultra successful co-founder duos, they all share a few foundational characteristics that any relationship needs to thrive. Things like chemistry, respect, trust, and great communication.
I was lucky to work with my current business partner for several years at a startup before we took the plunge and built our own company. It was during those years that I learned he was someone I could count on, share ideas with, and ultimately start a business with.
If working alongside a co-founder is in the cards for you, here are three green flags to look for in your future business partner.
You already know you work well together
Just as smart companies do their due diligence before entering into a business relationship with a vendor, startup founders should do the same. Ideally, you and your prospective co-founder will have already worked together or have been connected in some other capacity, preferably for years.
During this time, you learn about a person’s foundational characteristics: Do they have integrity? Are they respectful? How do they treat others? How do they handle conflict? Getting an up-close look at someone’s character and values—across time and various circumstances—is arguably even more important than what they bring to the table in terms of their skillset.
Thanks to our shared history of working together previously, my business partner and I are almost always on the same page when it comes to critical decisions around hiring, which investors to work with, and who else we let into our ecosystem. Sure, things can work even if you’ve never worked together before, but your chances of having a harmonious co-founder relationship are much higher if you enter the partnership already confident that you can work together effectively.
Communication is second nature
Everyone can agree that strong communication is essential for any good relationship, and this holds especially true for co-founder relationships. Your business, customers, and employees all depend on the quality of your communication.
Honesty and vulnerability are critical, as is a willingness to talk about the hard stuff. But most importantly, all of this communication should come easily and feel like second nature for both parties. For example, my co-founder and I have never scheduled a one-on-one meeting to chat. We’re constantly in touch by default: bouncing ideas off of each other, discussing our business, and, yes, having difficult conversations. In addition to communicating throughout the day, we always end up debriefing each other at the end of each work day as well.
You and your co-founder must be able to discuss work-related topics with radical honesty, but they should also be someone with whom you feel comfortable talking about personal matters. Everyone deals with life challenges, and your co-founder needs to be someone you can share those things with since they have the potential to impact your mood, your energy, and ultimately your work.
You balance each other out
The best co-founding pairs share similar values and characteristics but bring different skillsets to the table. If you think of yourself and your ideal co-founder as a Venn diagram, things like integrity, honesty, and solid communication overlap in the center. In the circle on the left, someone might have superb technical skills and vision-focused thinking. In the circle on the right, as is the case with my business partner, interpersonal skills and exceptional sales and marketing knowledge might be that person’s strong suit.
Understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses requires a high level of self-awareness and humility. Co-founders need to be able to draw on each other’s strengths to accomplish shared goals. This also means knowing when to hand something off to your partner if it’s not in your wheelhouse—no one can (or should) be doing it all.
Having this balance is critical. I’ve seen scenarios where an early stage startup has two or three highly technical co-founders and, while this can work initially, it’s usually not sustainable as the business grows. In more established companies, there’s generally a clear delineation when it comes to skillsets. It’s a win-win: You each get to focus on the things you’re naturally good at and passionate about, and your trusted partner fills the gaps where needed.
Since my business partner and I have different approaches to different situations, we always end up right in the middle, which is where we should be. For example, if he wants to grow a certain part of our team rapidly, but I think we should take a more conservative approach, we find the middle ground (i.e. we grow our team where we needed to, but stay mindful of things like budget), and that ends up being the right decision for our business.
Your relationship with your co-founder has the potential to be one of the most meaningful and impactful relationships in your life. You’ll be spending countless hours together and, hopefully, building something that changes the world for the better. Ensure your co-founder is someone who balances you, and someone who you enjoy working and communicating with for the best shot at success.
