Request for Co-founder

Over the past nine months or so, I've been working full-time as a founder. I've explored areas across healthcare, fintech, and developer tools. It's probably been one of the hardest and most challenging experiences I've had — full of failures, lessons, and moments of doubt. But also growth.

There's something profoundly meaningful about seeing the growth that comes from pushing through difficult periods. I've come out more resilient, more self-aware, and more confident than ever that I'll succeed in this venture.

While I failed — whether from chasing the wrong problem, or building without product–market fit — I've come to believe that most failures are mental. You fail not because the idea is bad, but because you're not acting decisively enough. Because you're not seeing reality clearly. You confuse what you want to be true with what is actually true.

I have worked with 3 different co-founders across different projects each spanning around 2-4 month time periods. Through the process I have learned a lot about myself and what an ideal co-founder would be for me.

Why a co-founder?

  • It's a less lonely experience. Working alone can be brutal, especially on the down days.
  • I tend to be the devil's advocate, which paradoxically makes me the optimistic one when morale is low.
  • Momentum is much easier to sustain when you're not carrying it alone.

Challenges of co-founder

Not holding a high enough bar is a costly mistake — for everyone involved. When I was solo, the need for companionship sometimes overrode my rational judgment about whether the other person was truly the right fit. Startups are a sexy thing to do, which makes it even more important to filter quickly and objectively.

Being a founder is a long-term career — and I've come to believe you have to optimize for the long game, even if that means enduring some short-term pain.

I'm far from perfect, but I've learned to keep raising the bar for myself — and it's only fair to extend that same bar to a co-founder. We need to be able to impress each other. If it's not a hell yes, it should be a no.

The heuristic I like is:

Great co-founder > Solo founder > Bad co-founder

Chemistry matters. You don't have to be best friends, but you'll spend more time with this person than almost anyone else. You need to enjoy working together and genuinely care about each other. A purely "co-worker" dynamic often isn't enough.

Foundations of a great co-founder relationship

  • Open, transparent communication: Nothing should go unsaid. Be blunt, be honest. Don't let tensions build. Have the hard conversations early and often.

  • Complementary skill sets: I lean heavily toward technical and product. With LLMs accelerating my workflow, I've made strong progress in areas like sales and ops. I aspire to be well-rounded and take on whatever role is needed — but energy naturally gravitates somewhere, and that alignment matters.

  • Mutual trust and autonomy: We should be able to trust each other to own our lanes without micromanagement.

This past year has been about getting sharper — learning what matters, what doesn't, and who I want to build with. I'm not in a rush, but I'm intentional. I'm looking for a business partner I can build great things with — and genuinely enjoy being around.

If any of this resonates, or you’re on a similar path, I’d love to connect.