Why give a damn:
Deciding whether to go it alone or bring on a co-founder can be the most important decision you make as an entrepreneur.
The author of this post, Rajesh Anandan, SVP at UNICEF USA, has developed a $400 million partnership portfolio and recently launched UNICEF Ventures to accelerate high impact social innovations. As the Founder of ULTRA, Rajesh is building a network of high performance technology services employing teams of individuals with disabilities.
Like having a baby, launching a new venture is better done with a partner.
It had been almost two months since our baby’s birth. My wife and I hadn’t slept more than a couple hours at a stretch since her arrival and we were completely exhausted. As we teetered on the brink of collapse, on very short fuses, just trying to get through to the next feeding, there were times when it seemed like one sleep-deprived caregiver might actually have been more effective than two.
Our baby is now a deliciously curious little one year old, and looking back, I can’t imagine having gone through the past year without my wife. Hopefully, the feeling is mutual.
There are just some things I would not have been able to delegate to anyone else, even close friends and family, and the workload would have been crushing. More importantly, without a partner to share the intense highs and lows, the experience might have been isolating and lonely instead of rewarding and fulfilling.
baby = venture
birth = launch
wife / husband / parent = co-founder
next feeding = next round of financing
one year old = post-revenue
friends and family = team and investors
Bill Gates had Paul Allen, Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak, and Larry Page had Sergei Brin.
You may very well achieve tremendous impact as a sole founder, but by having the right co-founder by your side from the get-go, you’ll not only improve your chances of success, but also be healthier and happier along the way.