🎙️ Thriving as a Diverse Founding Team + Framework for Testing a Co-Founder
New Podcast Episode + Founder Resource! ✨ Meet a multicultural team on a mission to improve sustainability - one couch at a time. Plus a new resource on structuring co-founder trial periods.
We’ve all seen the studies proving diverse teams yield more creative, innovative, and profitable outcomes… what we don’t see are the strong communication skills required to fully capture these benefits.
On the latest episode of How I Met My Co-Founder, we go deep with a multi-national founding trio — Vaish brings nearly a decade of experience leading non-profit teams in India, Jed managed one of the top fast-food chains in the Philippines, and Max is a multi-time founder from Europe. The three met during their grad program in sustainability in Sweden and Cohabit, a circular furniture rental startup, was born.
Listen, watch, read (or keep scrolling) to get their unfiltered takes. Know someone starting a company with classmates? Forward to them!
BONUS: This week, I’m also sharing a framework for designing trial arrangements with a potential co-founder.
Have questions about co-founder relationships?
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Brought to you by Confidante, preventing the co-founder conflicts that kill 65% of startups.
Episode Summary & Takeaways:
In our conversation, we discuss:
• Founding a Company with Classmates
• Leaning on Co-Founders for (Emotional) Support
• Structuring “Pilots” with Co-Founders
• Balancing Sustainability and Profit
• The Importance of Trust and Commitment
Some takeaways:
“It’s not 33% ownership, it’s 100% ownership thrice”: Vaish shares, “if we look at it as shared ownership, we have so much more that we can do together. I’ve realized that whenever I'm in a conflict, I'm in conflict with the problem that we are trying to resolve, not with my partners.” (See: Situation-Behavior-Impact Communication Framework)
Structure a Realistic Pilot: The Cohabit team used their 3-month accelerator as a trial period not only for their company idea, but also for their team structure. By the end of the 3-months, each had the conviction and commitment to continue working on this full-time. (See: Structuring “Pilots” with Co-Founders)
Lean on Co-Founders for (Emotional) Support: The team highlights the importance of embracing uncertainty in the startup journey, and the power of leaning on your co-founders for emotional (not just functional) support. They believe co-founders should support each other's emotional well-being and regularly check in on a personal level. (See: Sound Relationship House for Co-Founders)
Growing *with* Your Team: Max highlights his gratitude towards his co-founders for pushing him to grow towards the leader he wants to be. Early stage founders: work with a team that does not expect perfection from the get-go and is willing to learn and grow together.
Focus on Strengths, Not Titles: In the early days, the team assigned roles based on each member's strengths and experience. They view these roles as continuously evolving with the needs of the company - flexibility and adaptability are key. Even today, the three haven’t decided on formal titles just yet - not because it’s a point of tension but because they want to stay flexible.
Are you a founder, investor, or ecosystem partner curious about founding team dynamics?