Choosing a co-founder for your startup is a critical decision that will shape your entrepreneurial journey. The relationship between co-founders will include tough and complex moments of facing challenges, alongside, of course, successes and moments of joy. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right partner for this path.
In this blog post, we’re sharing a set of questions recommended by Einat Drutin, Head of People at Grove Ventures, that you should ask a potential co-founder before you decide to build a company together. These questions can help you understand if you share the same vision, if your strengths complement each other, whether there’s real chemistry between you, and how your potential partner handles the tough moments that are unavoidable.
To go even deeper, we’ve created a quiz that helps you understand your own founder profile: highlighting strengths, spotting blind spots, and pointing you toward the type of co-founder who might be the best fit. Take the quiz here.
Vision & Values
Ask yourself:
Ask your potential co-founder:
Skills & Strengths
Look for complementary skill sets.
Ask yourself:
Ask your potential co-founder:
Personal Chemistry
Ask yourself:
Ask your potential co-founder:
First crisis = first real test.
Resilience & Commitment
Ask your potential co-founder:
One last (important) tip:
Before you go “official” – work together.
Spend a few months building something together: prepare a deck for investors, a pilot for customers – whatever feels real. Your first crisis together will be your first real character test.
Not sure yet? Take the quiz to find your co-founder match
Watch our interview with Einat Drutin about choosing the right co-founder for your startup:
