Thread by @businessbarista

When building a business, nothing is more important than a co-founder relationship.

Yet the dynamics of these relationships are seldom discussed.

That ends now.

Here are five learnings in six years of building Morning Brew alongside @austin_rief 👇

1. Find a brain VERY different from yours

We didn't need two Alexs or two Austins.

We needed brains that complemented each other and uncovered blindspots.

I am a divergent thinker.

Austin is a convergent thinker.

Both are crucial in building businesses.

2. Find someone that likes solving VERY different problems from you

I love solving new problems and problems related to people.

Austin loves solving problems related to scale and strategy.

If co-founders love & hate solving the same problems, it can create friction.

3. Disagreement is healthy, vision misalignment is not

When Austin & I disagree it's generally about the HOW not the WHY.

We may have different perspectives on HOW we reach our end goal, but we don't disagree on WHY our end goal is what it is.

4. Personal relationships between co-founders differ greatly

Some are best friends.
Others just have a professional relationship.

Austin and I fall somewhere in between.

We're like close cousins that will always have a bond and a deep respect but also live independent lives.

5. A co-founder must pass the road trip test

People talk about the bus stop test when hiring. Can you sit next to the person for 2 hours at a bus stop?

For co-founders, the standard is higher.
Can you go on a 2-month road trip with the person without going crazy?

And those are 5 of my biggest lessons in 6 years of partnership with my co-founder!

If you want more business stories or lessons building a business, throw me a follow!

twitter.com/businessbarista

And if you want the full breakdown of my co-founder relationship, listen to the newest episode of @FoundersPod 👇

Listen on Apple: apple.co/31OLNwk

Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi/3mjJVow