Founding Team

Whether you need a co-founder, how to find one, the conversations to have before you commit, the trial project, and how founder equity, vesting and cliffs really work.

Lessons

• Do you actually need a co-founder? — The honest case for and against. Solo founding is harder but not disqualifying, and a bad co-founder is much worse than none. (10 min)
• What to look for in a co-founder — Complementary skills matter less than commitment, values, communication and how someone behaves when things go badly. (12 min)
• Where to find a co-founder — Former colleagues first, then communities and events. The best predictor is having worked together before. (10 min)
• The conversation to have before you commit — Fifteen questions that feel awkward now and prevent the disaster later. Have this before any equity is discussed. (15 min)
• The trial project — Two to four weeks of real work together before committing anything. The cheapest insurance in the whole company. (10 min)
• Splitting founder equity — Not based on who had the idea. Based on what each person brings from here — and it should be a real conversation, not a reflex 50/50. (12 min)
• Vesting and cliffs — Why founders should vest too, and why the one-year cliff protects everyone — including the person who leaves. (12 min)