

How to Pick a Co-Founder  - acav
http://www.thedailymuse.com/entrepreneurship/the-perfect-match-finding-the-right-co-founder/

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dmd149
Excellent post.

It seems like many people look for co-founders backwards; they start looking
for people with skills they lack and go from there. I think it makes sense to
start with people you have good relationships with first and then later turn
it into a business partnership.

I started my own project as a solo-founder. I met my current co-founder at a
conference. She had and still has her own project. We thought we could
collaborate through our projects separately, but as time went on it just made
more sense to bring her on as a full partner/co-founder for my project.

From a complementary skills standpoints, it works OK.

The best thing about the relationship is that she is fun to work with. It
makes working on the project fun and sustainable.

Great post and good luck with your company!

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woohoo
This bit "Learn what makes her happiest and what stresses her out. See how she
responds to difficult situations or murky ethical quandaries. Find out how she
treats others (and herself) when things aren’t going well." is really
important I think. Lots of people can get along when everything is going
great. The difference between just being friends and co-founding a company is
how you get along when things are going badly.

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j45
Dating before you get married is the best way to go in all business
relationships. Business relationships are far harder than marriage,
friendships and more.

Only focussing on healthy, short term relationships is the most important
thing. If they are healthy in the short term, they will become long term on
their own.

It's difficult to get on the same page, and even harder to stay on the same
page as personal life changes happen.

Solving smaller problems together / hacking solutions is not a bad way to see
how things are going. I am part of a small startup club locally and the past
year of hanging out and talking shop about our own products, and building the
odd utility together has revealed a lot about who I would click with.

A business partnership isn't something to lightly run into either. Educate
yourself on the value of doing joint ventures first, or one party paying the
other to respect their time. Once there is sufficient traction it can be
converted into ownership as well.

Working with friends is also tough, but possible if you both are experienced
professionals and know when to turn friendship off and work relationship on.
You have to know how not to use the friendship or personal things as a weapon
professionally, or vice versa.

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davimack
Somebody cared about this question?AMAZING!!!

