It took me three founding teams. Yes three, before I had a team that clicked the first founding team. Even though we had worked together previously, we didn’t mesh as a team.
The second founding team just wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t until I built the third founding team that I got it right. I wish I knew then what I knew now, and you get to benefit from what I’ve learned.
So here are four steps you can take to fix founder problems before they happen:
Step number one: Pay attention to cultural fit.
Before you add a co-founder, you think you’ve found the perfect co-founder. They check all the boxes in terms of skill and ability. However, you’re not sure because the person you’re thinking of bringing on seems a little off to you, and you wonder what will this person be like to work with?
On the other hand, it’s so hard to find a competent co-founder, so you’re unsure of what to do. I know it’s painful, but you can’t bring this person on as your co-founder because it’s very unlikely someone that doesn’t fit your culture will work out.
You need someone that’s a fit. So what does a cultural fit look like? Here’s my pre-screening list before you bring on any founder: