A simple frame to think about ingredients for successful co-foundership is "same values, different skills".
An obvious third ingredient to this is that you share a mission.
So, you want to create the same thing in the world. How you want to go about that is the same, and you complement each other on what you can do.
The classic combination of these differences is the thinker and the do-er.
Or (as Joost van Schie shared in our interview on De Gebakken Peren) the Peacock and the Penguin. Where the Peacock goes around parading and selling the world, and the Penguin runs after him to streamline (ahem clean up) the created chaos.
What's essential here is appreciation and seeing the value of each other's differences. That you understand that your way is á way, not thé or the best way. And that you need each other's skillsets.
Which can be tricky. Since the skills you build often result from your preferences.
So, what you'd like to see in the world and how you'd like to treat people might align, but you differ in how you prefer to work or communicate.
Plus, over time, someone's skill might be more essential than the others and resentment can come up.
And, of course, you grow as a person. Your values change and some things can become more important.
So, what you want to do with your working life isn't static and you can grow apart.
But all three neglect maybe the most important ingredient: the quality of the relationship.
Is there trust and chemistry?
Do you trust each other to have each other's best interests in mind? Do you feel supported by each other?
Can you be happy for each other's successes and can you give each other some slack when needed?
Do you want to help each other feel great in the relationship and help the other in being their best?
Do you know how to communicate with each other?
Do you have the chemistry that this goes naturally or have you learned the tools to at least make that go smoothly?
Can you both bring up hard conversations or does that responsibility always fall to the same one?
Can you trust that the relationship is ok through hard conversations or tough feedback?
If this sounds like regular relationship stuff, it's because it is.
In this episode with Floor van den Elsen and Malou te Wierik of Buro Dertig, I was struck by their chemistry, how much they trusted each other and how natural it was for them to help the other out. We also talked about developing their own definition of success, and about finding the right balance between work and life, which is especially hard when both dealing with a chronic illness.
