On what basis should co-founders come together: shared values and personal compatibility, or a shared business idea?

Matan Bar · published Feb 11, 2021

Co-founders should be chosen on shared values and compatibility rather than around a specific business idea

Like a good marriage, shared values make managing debate and enduring hardship easier; he and his co-founders committed to working together before having a concept

Scope: they narrowed to fintech because of his background

4:53 20VC: Scaling to a $1.3Bn Valuation While in Stealth, The Power of Different Network Effects Within Payment Platforms & How To Leverage Your Board and Investor Base for the Most Value with Matan Bar, Founder & CEO @ Melio

Akin Babayigit · published Jun 26, 2023

The character of a co-founder — whether you'd trust them with your family's affairs — should drive the decision to partner more than anything else

He chose Lior because of who he is: someone who sold a business to a public company and still goes home at 6pm for family dinner, i.e. someone worth learning from

10:52 20VC: Eight Pieces of Startup Advice that are BS: Why You Do Not Have to Love Your Space, It Is Ok To Do It For The Money, Focus Is Not Everything, Speed Is Not The Most Important Thing with Akin Babayigit, Co-Founder @ Tripledot Studios

Harry Stebbings · published Nov 13, 2023

Building a company on friendship is a mistake

He held that view when young and considers it in retrospect the worst approach

26:03 Building a company on friendship is a mistake

Matthew Prince · published Oct 16, 2023

Cofounders should start out as colleagues rather than friends, and friendship follows naturally if the partnership works

He and Michelle had totally different social circles and didn't hang out early on, yet became incredibly close friends through what they built together

18:20 Cofounders should start as colleagues with friendship following naturally

Davis Smith · published Dec 15, 2023

Founders should identify the idea first and then recruit the best person in the world to help solve that specific problem, rather than choosing a partner first and looking for something to build together

The right partner is defined by having the skill set to solve the problem, not by being someone you think you'd enjoy working with — and it probably isn't your cousin

11:22 Idea first then recruit the best person to solve it not partner first

Paul Graham · published Oct 2014

Founders should be self-indulgent in choosing collaborators, working only with people they genuinely like and have known long enough to be sure of.

source Choose cofounders self indulgently based on genuine liking and long acquaintance