Who're we lookin' fer again Hank?

A good friend recently asked me whether he should invite someone as a founder for his new start-up. @edyson also tweeted me a nice post on the topic by 500 Startups

For me, the main criteria to determine the founders is not just the skills and experience you bring to the table (though of course a good balance is desirable), but how you think you will operate together under:

•  Extreme financial stress
•  Political tension
• Emotional strain
•  Physical weariness

You get the point, if you’re in a firefight, would you want these guys by your side? Will they be shooting at you or will they be helping you get out of it by any means possible?

Next up: do you like the people enough to make them your closest partners for the next 5 to 30 years? You don’t need to be able to go out and drink with them, etc. (Sridhar and I never do) but you should really enjoy being in the other person’s presence and talking with each other. If you can’t stand each other now imagine what it’ll be like after three months of intense stress. Would you really be working well under those circumstances?

Finally, for now: does everyone take the same risks? Every founder has to write checks – to the point that it hurts, at least a little. Otherwise, they’ve not got enough skin in the game. To found a start-up is risky and making a start-up successful requires taking calculated risks. If his house is on the line but you are only going to lose that third skiing holiday then your appreciation of risk might differ. Likewise, when it does start to hurt (and it will) it’s good to know your partner is hurting right along next to you and that he’s just as committed to turning the situation around.

So in summary:

•  A firefight buddy
• Mutual liking of each other
•   Skin in the game

What else do you think are necessary conditions for co-founderhood?

Credit for the picture:  http://bit.ly/JwWTUe

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• Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
• Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
• Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
• Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

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Nulla sagittis convallis arcu. Sed sed nunc. Curabitur consequat. Quisque metus enim, venenatis fermentum, mollis in, porta et, nibh. Duis vulputate elit in elit. Mauris dictum libero id justo. Fusce in est. Sed nec diam. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Quisque semper nibh eget nibh. Sed tempor. Fusce erat.

An Ordered List

1. Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
5. Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

An Ordered List

1. Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
5. Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

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Proin vestibulum. Ut ligula. Nullam sed dolor id odio volutpat pulvinar. Integer a leo. In et eros at neque pretium sagittis. Sed sodales lorem a ipsum suscipit gravida. Ut fringilla placerat arcu. Phasellus imperdiet. Mauris ac justo et turpis pharetra vulputate.

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Level 1 Heading

Level 2 Heading

Level 3 Heading

Level 4 Heading

Level 5 Heading

Level 6 Heading

An Unordered List

• Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
• Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
• Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
• Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
• Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

Image with no alignment

Nulla sagittis convallis arcu. Sed sed nunc. Curabitur consequat. Quisque metus enim, venenatis fermentum, mollis in, porta et, nibh. Duis vulputate elit in elit. Mauris dictum libero id justo. Fusce in est. Sed nec diam. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Quisque semper nibh eget nibh. Sed tempor. Fusce erat.

An Ordered List

1. Vestibulum in mauris semper tortor interdum ultrices.
2. Sed vel lorem et justo laoreet bibendum. Donec dictum.
3. Etiam massa libero, lacinia at, commodo in, tincidunt a, purus.
4. Praesent volutpat eros quis enim blandit tincidunt.
5. Aenean eu libero nec lectus ultricies laoreet. Donec rutrum, nisi vel egestas ultrices, ipsum urna sagittis libero, vitae vestibulum dui dolor vel velit.

Proin vestibulum. Ut ligula. Nullam sed dolor id odio volutpat pulvinar. Integer a leo. In et eros at neque pretium sagittis. Sed sodales lorem a ipsum suscipit gravida. Ut fringilla placerat arcu. Phasellus imperdiet. Mauris ac justo et turpis pharetra vulputate.

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Proin vestibulum. Ut ligula. Nullam sed dolor id odio volutpat pulvinar. Integer a leo. In et eros at neque pretium sagittis. Sed sodales lorem a ipsum suscipit gravida. Ut fringilla placerat arcu. Phasellus imperdiet. Mauris ac justo et turpis pharetra vulputate.

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