Chapters (Powered by ChapterMe) - 00:00 - Rookie Mistakes 00:15 - Note from YC founder 00:32 - Write it down 00:49 - Biggest error - Founders looking for someone with a skill match 01:57 - Note from YC founder 02:05 - Co founder disputes 02:05 - Arguments 02:33 - 1. Pause (Don't have to keep the fight going) 02:45 - 2. Stress (How your co-founder deals with it) 03:03 - Note from YC founder 03:20 - Avoidance 05:01 - How should the CEO set up a company? 05:49 - Tactical tips for folks looking for co-founders? 06:12 - 1. Team first 06:58 - 2. Co-founders are a superpower 08:10 - Recommendations recap
There's nothing as depressing as having a cofounder but still feeling alone and like weight of execution is on you. It absolutely sucks! I think a lot more founders are opting for solo founding because truth is we're all not going to have cofounders from college dorms or previous workspaces and the PTSD from broken founder relationships is as bad a that of a divorce. And if the consequence for that is being alienated from funding an idea that's working and has achieved product market fit. I bet that more founders are becoming willing to take that risk. (This is from my informal research) However, it would be great if YC conducted a poll to know how many founders want cofounders or would rather do it alone the outcomes would be interesting to see.
Conflict management is usually a neglected subject between co-founders. It should be some Conflict baseline where people can get back to see what next to do in case there is a disagreement between them.
Hiring professionals & giving them equity is much better than looking for a co-founder if you don't already have co-founders. Sometimes, companies are run better with only one power source at the top without the politics of power struggle.
You don't need a co-Founder. Been there, done that and the risk associated with it ain't worth it. If you can get a team to hire and build with you the better. Let's not over hype this whole Co-founder thing, startups are hard, having a co-Founder who losses interested during the pre stage with excuses isn't helpful. If you have a great Co-founder that's fine, if you don't and can outsource, do it!🚀
@@dtoogentle I have built and exited a startup, building another as we speak. Having a co-founder makes sense for majority of people. From speed to cost-cutting and domain knowledge, it makes sense Just because something is recommended by many, does not make it overhyped!
Argument, disagreement, low ego must be welcomed, supported, encouraged in startups -- anyone who silences opposing speech has to be fired. A very common reason for startup failure is wishful thinking, where the founder never allowed anyone to argue and tell them the truth
If your cofounder is a malignant narcissist or psychopath your company is dead. Sadly it's usually too late once you realize what they are. There is no conflict resolution with a psychopath.
I’m at revenue generation in my startup. And I always think to search for a cofounder, I couldn’t find pressing need. I have done the coding, the infrastructure, the marketing, the digital marketing, onboarding first customers. I understand that cofounder offer different perspective. What am I missing?
I would be really curious to see the list of successful startups to go through YC without co-founders vs companies with, I am sure that would tell a story as well.
@@pinghe3605 you sure? I remember seeing their TechCrunch disrupt presentation and there was another dude with him, who I’d only presume was technical (considering Parker is not)
As I understand, about 12% of YC startups only have one founder. Of the 50 most valuable YC-founded companies, only 3 were started by a solo founder. This implies that somehow, having a founder statistically increases your odds of success. Of course, there are other factors at play.
I disagree on the 50% + 1 rule on settling disagreements. We have a 'beatles' rule. Either we all agree or we don't do it. I think having that +1 override builds resentment over time.
You say that the skills match is not an issue with cofounder breakups, but it could very well be that they eventually couldn’t stand the person because they didn’t have the skills (or ability to develop them) and that made conflicts over time. Lots of people who divorce will say the cheating is what caused the breakup, but there’s a whole host of things that led to one partner cheating in the first place.
honest question: how do you reconcile all the recommendations you mention in the video about selecting a co-founder you get along well with using a co-founder matching service like the one YC offers? thanks
I do have a question regarding this. If I already have an idea, which I feel like I'm capable of implementing on my own (at least initially), is it a better idea to just go ahead and start working on it? For some context, this was an idea that I created with help from a couple friends, but neither of them expressed any interest in starting a company, and said they'd rather work on other projects. Meaning, the people I would have liked to have as cofounders really aren't available.
Then you don't need anyone, especially your friends are not expressing interest. Start building ASAP and launch and talk to users. Keep repeating these but always be look out for possible co-founders whenever opportunities presents.
Unpopular opinion 0: "You don't need a co-founder, you need customers" - Me Unpopular opinion 1: "customers won't wait for you" - Also me Unpopular opinion 2: "You can hire... do it" - Also also me
Unless someone with marvelous abilities shows up, the idea of co-founders seems pretty much a bad idea. I had one tentative co-founder, and he was doing 10% the work I am. No thanks.
How do you find a cofounder if you don’t have the skills you need in your circle. I’m working on a Telehealth platform in the UK but all my friends are doctors like me. Although I’m planning on being a full stack engineer, I’m looking to find a Technical Head to support.. currently using mainly cofounder dating websites and networking.. Should I persist with that or as you said initially find a friend in my circle and skill up together..?
I'll be looking for other people to join me after showing them a super well done prototype next month. I expect my prototype to strongly influence the partnerships 😁
Also the other cofounders didn’t sign their vesting agreements. Should I follow suit....And does that mean that Because no one signed the agreement does that means that we all would fully own our shares upfront.
Thanks so much for the content. I feel like I found a portion of the answer I’m looking for. I really just need a clear answer though. I just got offered a position of CMO as a co-founder and I have been offered 5% of the company but I’m not quite sure what I should ask for or expect as a salary.. because it’s a start up I’m trying to figure out how exactly do I get paid actual money.. 😅I’m afraid to ask because I don’t want to seem nervous and get duped for my lack of understanding. this is my first time stepping into a position like this. I’ve only ever done Marketing and Consulting. this is a whole new world to me. I would really appreciate it if anybody had any answers as to what I should ask for as an initial salary or how I should go about acquiring a payment outside of equity because we are in the pre-seed/seed round so the company doesn’t have much money. What should I ask as far as a salary agreement and expect it to scale overtime?
@@DHAiRYA2801 in my opinion, startups are a game of speed and there’s very little margin for error. If you’re not ready on day 1 you’re putting the entire venture at risk. Some skill gaps cannot be overcome quickly enough in the pace a startup requires
@@parker5548 spot on. And guess what @DHAiRYA most incompetent cofounders are not really ready to learn or even make themselves available to so one person bears the weight. There's nothing as depressing as having a cofounder but still feeling alone and like weight of execution is on you. It absolutely sucks!
You guys could be brothers..you almost think alike and in the same tone of voice..you must be a great team; least conflict. We are dogs and we are cats in our co-founding drama
always remember, they are just a vehicle to load whatever they are designed to carry. It doesn't mean that you are not great. They just want to squeeze money out of whatever is easy for them.
Would expect a better discussion coming from YC, not this mess. They clearly don't understand the complexities of what they are trying to give advice on.
📌🔥Thanks for this information video, we are currently experiencing the greatest transfer of wealth ever recorded in world history. Investment is the future
I remember when I went from $66k to $31k until a colleague introduced me to Mrs Dana Roy Sydney that helped diversify my portfolio and increased my earnings from $31k to $90k now.. still investing till I bounce back for good
@@henryjames335 My first bitcoin investment with Mrs Dana gave me profit of 10,000 usd and ever since then she has never failed to deliver and I can even say she’s the most sincere person person I have known.
Chapters (Powered by ChapterMe) -
00:00 - Rookie Mistakes
00:15 - Note from YC founder
00:32 - Write it down
00:49 - Biggest error - Founders looking for someone with a skill match
01:57 - Note from YC founder
02:05 - Co founder disputes
02:05 - Arguments
02:33 - 1. Pause (Don't have to keep the fight going)
02:45 - 2. Stress (How your co-founder deals with it)
03:03 - Note from YC founder
03:20 - Avoidance
05:01 - How should the CEO set up a company?
05:49 - Tactical tips for folks looking for co-founders?
06:12 - 1. Team first
06:58 - 2. Co-founders are a superpower
08:10 - Recommendations recap
Most of these tips and suggestions also apply to when choosing a spouse.
Co-founder is more than spouse
... and that's not a coincidence: marriage is in many ways like a start-up.
So true. Marriage is the training ground for leadership. You have to be meek - it’s not a choice‼️
Which is why the analogy of “going to a bar to find a wife” was used.
1@@ZuluSowazi
There's nothing as depressing as having a cofounder but still feeling alone and like weight of execution is on you. It absolutely sucks!
I think a lot more founders are opting for solo founding because truth is we're all not going to have cofounders from college dorms or previous workspaces and the PTSD from broken founder relationships is as bad a that of a divorce.
And if the consequence for that is being alienated from funding an idea that's working and has achieved product market fit. I bet that more founders are becoming willing to take that risk. (This is from my informal research)
However, it would be great if YC conducted a poll to know how many founders want cofounders or would rather do it alone the outcomes would be interesting to see.
The more I watch these videos the more obvious it becomes why they are so successful. This is great information.
I don’t have cofounder, I recruit a team and give them equity + small portion of salary for initial stage before getting funding
We missed these kind of vids! Thanks Michael!
Conflict management is usually a neglected subject between co-founders. It should be some Conflict baseline where people can get back to see what next to do in case there is a disagreement between them.
Hiring professionals & giving them equity is much better than looking for a co-founder if you don't already have co-founders. Sometimes, companies are run better with only one power source at the top without the politics of power struggle.
You don't need a co-Founder. Been there, done that and the risk associated with it ain't worth it. If you can get a team to hire and build with you the better. Let's not over hype this whole Co-founder thing, startups are hard, having a co-Founder who losses interested during the pre stage with excuses isn't helpful. If you have a great Co-founder that's fine, if you don't and can outsource, do it!🚀
This is so on point
@@dtoogentle Don't take advice from anyone on the Internet
@@gidd A lot of takes on this Co-founder of a thing, I person think that this has been overhyped 😂
@@dtoogentle I have built and exited a startup, building another as we speak. Having a co-founder makes sense for majority of people. From speed to cost-cutting and domain knowledge, it makes sense
Just because something is recommended by many, does not make it overhyped!
@@gidd Great, thank you for this. Could you please drop your LinkedIn let’s connect?
I'm trying to reconcile "You NEED a co-founder" with "Co-founder disputes are more likely to kill you than anything else".
its hard to find someone who is not busy and can commit all their waking hours to the start up
You guys are awesome! I always learn a lot with the videos and your vibe gets my mood up.
Conflict management and learning how to fight smart....are crucial
Argument, disagreement, low ego must be welcomed, supported, encouraged in startups -- anyone who silences opposing speech has to be fired. A very common reason for startup failure is wishful thinking, where the founder never allowed anyone to argue and tell them the truth
100% right. I know a very close person who blew up his own startup by being like that
@@Rami7605 Could you explain more on how did such a thing happen ...
If your cofounder is a malignant narcissist or psychopath your company is dead. Sadly it's usually too late once you realize what they are. There is no conflict resolution with a psychopath.
I’m at revenue generation in my startup. And I always think to search for a cofounder, I couldn’t find pressing need. I have done the coding, the infrastructure, the marketing, the digital marketing, onboarding first customers. I understand that cofounder offer different perspective.
What am I missing?
People management. AFAIK product is a team sport.
Thank you for taking the time to share these lessons learned and advice.
This is very helpful, Michael! This is very timely for my business. Will watch more of your videos!
Love this setup. More please. You learn a ton and these 2 are very entertaining actually. Can easily replace Netflix :D
I would be really curious to see the list of successful startups to go through YC without co-founders vs companies with, I am sure that would tell a story as well.
I think Parker Conrad built Zenefits without a technical co founder
@@pinghe3605 you sure? I remember seeing their TechCrunch disrupt presentation and there was another dude with him, who I’d only presume was technical (considering Parker is not)
As I understand, about 12% of YC startups only have one founder. Of the 50 most valuable YC-founded companies, only 3 were started by a solo founder. This implies that somehow, having a founder statistically increases your odds of success. Of course, there are other factors at play.
I disagree on the 50% + 1 rule on settling disagreements. We have a 'beatles' rule. Either we all agree or we don't do it. I think having that +1 override builds resentment over time.
we've both been wrong so many times at this point that we usually just ship product and let the customer decide who is right.
@@joelw2413 the idea will change. the team should be rock solid and trust each other. either way can work. 👍
It's necessary to empathise with cofounder
You say that the skills match is not an issue with cofounder breakups, but it could very well be that they eventually couldn’t stand the person because they didn’t have the skills (or ability to develop them) and that made conflicts over time.
Lots of people who divorce will say the cheating is what caused the breakup, but there’s a whole host of things that led to one partner cheating in the first place.
Although
I was not here for any validation
But it feels nice and inspiring that I'm going through right path
Do you have a co founder agreement template
These Videos are amazing, keep them coming!
I like how the video is produced. Could you tell us which solution did you use to make this video interview ? Thanks!
Zoom + Adobe CC
honest question: how do you reconcile all the recommendations you mention in the video about selecting a co-founder you get along well with using a co-founder matching service like the one YC offers? thanks
I do have a question regarding this. If I already have an idea, which I feel like I'm capable of implementing on my own (at least initially), is it a better idea to just go ahead and start working on it? For some context, this was an idea that I created with help from a couple friends, but neither of them expressed any interest in starting a company, and said they'd rather work on other projects. Meaning, the people I would have liked to have as cofounders really aren't available.
Then you don't need anyone, especially your friends are not expressing interest. Start building ASAP and launch and talk to users. Keep repeating these but always be look out for possible co-founders whenever opportunities presents.
Unpopular opinion 0: "You don't need a co-founder, you need customers" - Me
Unpopular opinion 1: "customers won't wait for you" - Also me
Unpopular opinion 2: "You can hire... do it" - Also also me
Not unpopular. You are 300% right on all of them
Why would anyone want to work for you? Especially anyone who is skilled and qualified?
Unless someone with marvelous abilities shows up, the idea of co-founders seems pretty much a bad idea. I had one tentative co-founder, and he was doing 10% the work I am. No thanks.
This is golden. More of this :)
Everyone seems to be aware of these risks, more or less, but still make the ‘mistakes’. Life doesn’t set the ball perfectly, you have to play anyhow..
Inspiring, very good advise.
"Co-founder relationship is like a dog and a sock, if it can be torn apart, it will be"
- PG
How do you find a cofounder if you don’t have the skills you need in your circle. I’m working on a Telehealth platform in the UK but all my friends are doctors like me. Although I’m planning on being a full stack engineer, I’m looking to find a Technical Head to support.. currently using mainly cofounder dating websites and networking.. Should I persist with that or as you said initially find a friend in my circle and skill up together..?
Thanks YC
Excited because we are spouses and co-founders, and a healthy marriage involves similar traits as a health co-founder relationship and business 💞
I'll be looking for other people to join me after showing them a super well done prototype next month. I expect my prototype to strongly influence the partnerships 😁
Hey so it's been two months, how has it been going
Also the other cofounders didn’t sign their vesting agreements. Should I follow suit....And does that mean that Because no one signed the agreement does that means that we all would fully own our shares upfront.
Shares always vest overtime. You will never own shares upfront, that is a recipe for disaster.
Thanks so much for the content. I feel like I found a portion of the answer I’m looking for. I really just need a clear answer though. I just got offered a position of CMO as a co-founder and I have been offered 5% of the company but I’m not quite sure what I should ask for or expect as a salary.. because it’s a start up I’m trying to figure out how exactly do I get paid actual money.. 😅I’m afraid to ask because I don’t want to seem nervous and get duped for my lack of understanding. this is my first time stepping into a position like this. I’ve only ever done Marketing and Consulting. this is a whole new world to me. I would really appreciate it if anybody had any answers as to what I should ask for as an initial salary or how I should go about acquiring a payment outside of equity because we are in the pre-seed/seed round so the company doesn’t have much money. What should I ask as far as a salary agreement and expect it to scale overtime?
Don’t waste your time for 5%. Your an early stage employee, not cofounder
Gold - as always! Thanks
so you meant 49.5% and 49.5% between two founders and 1% for the CEO to decide things? is this correct?
is it important to determine who the CEO is ?
great advice, but it's kinda hard to find co founder if you don't have much friends 🥺😀🙂
Thanks so much for this...
I have a little more complicated situation that what has been provided though.
TY, Excellent points here !
Great series!
Thanks
great stuff, thanks.
Could you please share any experiences where founders decided to see a couple's therapist regularly to prevent/fix these issues? (hopefully, prevent)
You are saying "get a great co-founder first" like it is going to the supermarket and buying one...
and y-comb always asks how you know each other and expects you are classmates and soulmates.
I had a very nice guy as a cofounder, but so incompetent. and that broke the company. so that exists as well
I think being incompetent in the beginning is not a problem as long as he/she is willing to learn new skills over time.
@@DHAiRYA2801 in my opinion, startups are a game of speed and there’s very little margin for error. If you’re not ready on day 1 you’re putting the entire venture at risk. Some skill gaps cannot be overcome quickly enough in the pace a startup requires
@@parker5548 spot on. And guess what @DHAiRYA most incompetent cofounders are not really ready to learn or even make themselves available to so one person bears the weight.
There's nothing as depressing as having a cofounder but still feeling alone and like weight of execution is on you. It absolutely sucks!
@@akadaafrica5841 oh yeah. I’ve been there. It SUCKS. You want out asap.
Thank you 🙌
Thank you sir
You can’t swap out a Co-Founder as if they are a rental car; you should learn about Buy/Sell and Key Man agreements.
how many teams just broke up after watching this lol
First rule of a co founder by a founder is ...No way. to me its paying a person twice to do their job...enough said
You guys could be brothers..you almost think alike and in the same tone of voice..you must be a great team; least conflict. We are dogs and we are cats in our co-founding drama
anyone have playlsit about this podcast of seibel vs dalton? I see they are scatered maybe somone have the full version or the playlist
got rejected a week ago, while i have idea, team, traction. hope anyone who watching this comment got luck and giving back to community better((:
always remember, they are just a vehicle to load whatever they are designed to carry. It doesn't mean that you are not great. They just want to squeeze money out of whatever is easy for them.
Why do we need a co-founder?
Amazing 🤩
amazing
Would expect a better discussion coming from YC, not this mess. They clearly don't understand the complexities of what they are trying to give advice on.
Seibel lost weight and he is looking so much younger and handsome.
i don't agree !!!! SORRY !!!!
Same with me.😂😂
Amit Shah Zindabad 😂
Bruh😂
📌🔥Thanks for this information video, we are currently experiencing the greatest transfer of wealth ever recorded in world history. Investment is the future
Despite the economic crisis . This is still a good time to invest in the stock and crypto currency market.
I literally want to wake up one day and see my portfolio over $60k
I remember when I went from $66k to $31k until a colleague introduced me to Mrs Dana Roy Sydney that helped diversify my portfolio and increased my earnings from $31k to $90k now.. still investing till I bounce back for good
@@henryjames335 My first bitcoin investment with Mrs Dana gave me profit of 10,000 usd and ever since then she has never failed to deliver and I can even say she’s the most sincere person person I have known.
yes i heard ...b. s. there are other options........by the way... send my 50k fee i just saved you 50k and months of b.s.
🇮🇳