HACKER Q&A
📣 valachio

Potential cofounder is good match business-wise but not personality-wise


I met a potential cofounder. He is the same age as me and we are both interested in building a startup in the same field. Our skillset also complement each other's. On the work-side of things, we are a solid match.

However our personalities are quite different. In other words, I wouldn't want to be friends with him or hang out with him as a friend. Actually come to think of it, he's not someone I want to sit next to for too long.

I figured that if I am to build a startup with someone, I could be sitting next to them 12 hours a day, every day, for many years to come. I have to enjoy or at least tolerate their company. At the same time, it's a rare opportunity to meet someone whose interests are very similar to mine with complementing skillsets.

I could keep looking for other cofounders, or I could try to see if I can learn to tolerate this potential cofounder. What would you do in this situation?


  👤 geocrasher Accepted Answer ✓
"He's not someone I want to sit next to for too long, but we're going to start a business together and spend lots of time cooperating on massive live changing decisions."

That's a hard no.


👤 FrankWilhoit
Don't do it. Eventually a conflict will be fabricated and pushed to the breaking point.

👤 DamonHD
Keep looking.

But maybe you don't need to be friends to be effective together in business.