| By Sourobh Dasin Startup Process|Reader DisclosureOur content is reader-supported. This means we may earn a commission if you click on some of our links.
Business is just like life – it is good to have a companion by your side who understands you and shares your vision and passion. Going alone might mean a greater stake in the company and greater decision-making power but having a cofounder has its own advantages.
After all, the founding team of a startup must have expertise in all the areas of a business and that is only truly possible with a team.
Still not convinced? Let us persuade you some more.
Starting a business is really hard. Running it is even harder and more stressful. Startups require far more time and effort than a 9-to-5 job. With so much money on the line and continuous threats from the competition and the risks involved, it is nice to have a partner in your journey who shares your vision and on whom you can lean on, especially in tougher times.
Support of Investors
Investors, generally, tend to support companies which are run by a team than those that run solo. They trust companies with multiple founders and are likely to fund them more easily. So it is best to get a cofounder or cofounders by your side if you want to make the funding process smoother.
Better Decision-making
You don’t want your company to run like a dictatorship, where every decision you take is the final call. Of course, you would have advisors, but a cofounder is your partner. Not only would a cofounder act as a sounding board for all your thoughts, but also actively aid in making the final decisions. You will come up with more ideas through brainstorming and also will be better equipped to seal the loopholes in those ideas by questioning each others’ ideas. That’s how startups end up developing a solid backbone. At the end of the day, a difference of opinion can be healthy and can help in seeing the larger picture if the end goal in sight remains the same.
Division of Responsibility
There are just too many responsibilities in a startup. Running a company is not a cakewalk. There is too much running around to get even the smallest tasks done, especially when the company is in the initial phases and you have to double up as both manager and employee. A cofounder divides the stress and responsibility associated with running a startup. As a result, you end up having a better work-life balance.
Complementary Skills
Everyone comes from a particular background and thus it is impossible for someone to be good or great at everything. You might come from a Marketing background and thus be well-versed with the Marketing problems or concepts but you might have little or no idea about the other areas that make a startup like finance, tech, logistics etc. Having a cofounder team with complementary skill sets is a boon for a startup. Different backgrounds also translate to different viewpoints, leading to different ideas. The work also flows quicker and more smoothly as every cofounder will handle departments according to his skills.
Risk Mitigation
With the huge risks involved, you would want someone to shoulder them with you. People forget that a cofounder does not share only the profits, but the losses too. The investors too would like to decrease their risks by funding a company with multiple founders. A founder is the heart of the company but what if he leaves? The startup might die with the exit of the founder. Having multiple founders means greater stability in the minds of the investors. A case in point would be the exit of Housing.com’s founder and CEO from the company.
Having a cofounder keeps you in good spirits and on your toes even on your bad days when you do not feel like going the extra mile or stepping out of your comfort zone. No matter how great a master of all trades you might think you are, chances are that the reality is you are just a jack of some trades and perhaps the master of none. This should never deter anyone from taking the entrepreneurial plunge. So get like-minded people as your partners who complement your skills and take your business to heights that would not have been possible with only you handling all the affairs of the company.
The Startup Process
We know how important your dream business is to you. Therefore, we’ve come up with an all in one guide: The Startup Process to help you turn your vision into reality.
Product Guy. Introverted Marketer. Engineer by education. Movie and TV Geek by nature. Can be seen reading comics and non-fiction books when not binging on movies and Netflix shows. Pop-culture junkie. Out and out foodie. Wee bit self-obsessed.”
