In her 2002 song, “21 Things I Want in a Lover,” Alanis Morissette lists among them, “Do you derive joy when someone else succeeds? Do you not play dirty when engaged in competition? Are you uninhibited in bed, more than three times a week, up for being experimental?
She wants a lover, but she wants a certain type. Likewise, many entrepreneurs want a co-founder, but a certain type. In a study I’m conducting about how good ideas become successful firms, 85% of the successful start-ups had more than one founder. So there seems to be an advantage in having one, but how you do you find a co-founder with the traits you want? Alanis provides us a helpful hint, noting that her “21 things” are “not necessarily needs but qualities that I prefer.”
When it comes to choosing a co-founder, as with any meaningful relationship, you can’t always get exactly what you want. Let’s face it; all human beings have weaknesses and differences. However, you can do a better job if you take the time to consider the traits that are most important to you. For example, is he or she aligned with your way of thinking about business and the future?
To mimic Alanis, here are 21 things I choose to choose in a co-founder:
Do you derive joy by solving problems? Do you like working 40-hours a week because that’s enough work to still succeed? Do you have lots of intellectual capacity but understand that it alone does not equate to building a great company? Do you see big corporations as the enemy but still respect their roles in society? Are you passionate and flexible, open-minded, and don’t believe in taking advantage of employees? Do you derive joy from diving in and seeing a project through just for the love of it? Are you independent and self-motivated, like adventure, and offer skills that I don’t have? Are you creative at work, more than three times a week, up for being experimental? Are you honest? Are you thriving in a job that helps your associates and customers? Are you not money hungry?
If you ‘re looking for a co-founder, I suggest you make your own list. And keep in mind that while it’s impossible to find a partner with all the qualities you want, you can find one that has most of them.
Here’s an acoustic version of Alanis’ “21 Things I Want in a Lover” if you’d like to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9u5MQqaG0o
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