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.
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.
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.
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!
Hi YC, What does it mean great engineers? I hear Michael Seibel and Dalton Caldwell saying hiring great engineers or co-founders, but how do I know if someone is a good engineer? I am ML engineer-scientist, so am I a good tech founder? Or hire a good no-tech co founder for sales and marketing, so it means that if you are not already a good tech or sales you should not start a startup? I am really focused.
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
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.
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.
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?
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.
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'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 😁
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.
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.
@@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!
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..?
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
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.
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