I just want to reiterate that finding the right co-founder is hard, very hard. If things go well, you will be stressed out to the max, if things don’t go well, you will still be crazy stressed. Definitely the foundation for a tough relationship. The keys lessons I have learned are pretty simple:
- Meet often, the more times the better
- Be in the same location (long distance romantic relationships are tough, it is even harder for co-founders)
- Be patient, and up-front with everything, which includes the displeasure and the ups and downs
- Set expectations and have ramifications if they aren’t met
- Have contingency plans
Like I said, not hard in theory, but definitely hard in practice. Remember, you will have your disagreements, just make sure that these disagreements and the way they are resolved make the business stronger and better. Worrying about how your partner will respond is the wrong thing to focus on.
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I think you and the co-founder also need a similar philosophy. If the way you view the world, and more importantly your business, is always at odds with one another then everything will be a struggle. With that in mind, you need someone different enough to complement you and thereby add value.