Here's how you should choose a co-founder for your company.
Since the AI hype, the so-called solo founder model has become fashionable again. With AI, you can supposedly do everything alone today : write texts, test product ideas, create designs, even code. And yes, productivity has increased massively as a result. You can achieve significantly more with fewer people.
But does that also mean it's better to start a business alone? I don't think so.
I remember a discussion at Bits and Pretzels. I was sitting with amazing founders like Alex Emshev, Duco van Lanschot, and Arthur Waller. When asked if they would start a company alone today, the answer was surprisingly clear:
No. A strong founding team beats any solo founder.
Why? Because choosing a founding team is about much more than just dividing up the work. A good team means several highly motivated people who pursue the same goal, are willing to give their all, and challenge each other when things get tough. This kind of energy is almost impossible to replace on your own.
Nevertheless, we all know: The right co-founder doesn't fall from the sky.
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At 0TO9 (pronounced "Zero to Nine," a fintech company builder founded by Swedish serial entrepreneur Oliver Hildebrandt with Henrik Landgren, former partner at EQT, which aims to help 1,000 scalable financial companies launch across Europe over the next two decades; Holzbach is the company's head in Germany; editor's note), we regularly work with early-stage companies looking to join the ecosystem, as well as individual founders with exciting ideas. These are people who want to start a business but are still looking for the right partner.
Our task is then not only to provide infrastructure and capital, but also to match people who can achieve more together than alone.
I am always aware that the right partner can carry your company. The wrong one can destroy it.
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It is no coincidence that studies show that conflict within the founding team is one of the most common reasons why startups fail, even more so than lack of capital or incorrect timing.
So, how do you approach this correctly?
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