Pick a co-founder like you'd pick a spouse — because you'll spend more time with them than with your spouse for 5+ years.
- Test for:
- Complementary skills (not duplicate ones)
- Aligned ambitions ($10M lifestyle vs $1B exit)
- Compatible work styles under stress
- Trust under loss of money/sleep
Co-founder breakups kill more startups than competitors do.
Next action
Turn the lesson into work.
Pick one concrete next step now, while the context is still fresh.