Why prospective business partners should test the waters before fully committing: Bird Lovegod

Solo founders are a rare breed, and are likely to be either very good, such as Jeff Bezos, or about to learn the hard realities of lonely self imposed discipline, long hours, and hard work, for no pay.

Strangely but predictably, there exists a number of platforms designed to help single founders match with their ideal counterpart. Very much like a dating app. This seems weird to me, and I have doubts about the efficacy.

It seems like a good idea in principle, it’s a matter of matching skills, but in practice… I really don’t think so. Firstly, you need to have some sort of relationship with each other, it’s a long term thing, till exit do us part, or until the business goes broke or the relationship disintegrates and breaks down, which is far more likely than a happy ending ever after.

Then there’s the long distance issue, if the partner isn’t in the same town, or even country, are you really going to be able to orchestrate a business? Perhaps, maybe, but as if it’s not hard enough already! And how about the paperwork, the contracts, the shareholders agreements, all that stuff. Complicated at the best of times. All doable remotely? Sure… but imagine trying to solve any dispute. From an investor’s perspective, co-founders in different countries is surely a massive no no.

In practice and real life people don’t find co-founders in this artificial way. They find them by being human in human environments, by meeting at events, universities, by being friends first, or work colleagues, then co founders second. First the relationship, then the business partnership.

In any instance, it’s a minefield. And like romantic relationships, two is the only sensible number, three is volatile and likely to end up as two, and four is too many, so two is your only option really. Either go it alone, or sign up for the commitment of building something with a partner whom you will be spending more time with than anyone else for the foreseeable future.

For this reason, mixed sex business partnerships are almost certainly a no no, unless both parties are single, and creating a business is part of the romance. If one or both are in a relationship, it’s a big red flag for everyone. It may start professionally, but it won’t stay that way. Funders should avoid mixed sex business partnerships simply on the basis that it’s either going to become a lifestyle business for the new couple or it’s going to get messy and dysfunctional and crash and burn. People are people.

In any instance, good advice for potential co-founders is to try dating before consummating. Try a small project together, have a laugh by setting a budget of £100 and seeing if you can make a business together for a month. Do projects. Learn each others’ ways, see how each other works and see if you’re compatible.

Business break ups are as hard as romantic ones, harder sometimes, and just as messy. If you’re thinking of engaging in a full on business partnership, take each other for a test drive first. That’s my advice.