Why This Checklist Matters
Co-founder conflict is the #1 reason startups fail in the first 2 years. 65% of high-potential startups fail due to co-founder issues (Noam Wasserman, Harvard). This checklist helps you evaluate compatibility before you commit.
Section 1: Vision Alignment
| Question | Your Answer | Their Answer | Match? |
|---|---|---|---|
| What problem are we solving and for whom? | ☐ | ||
| Where do you see this company in 5 years? | ☐ | ||
| Are we building to sell, to IPO, or as a lifestyle business? | ☐ | ||
| How big do you want this to get? | ☐ | ||
| What would make you quit? | ☐ |
Section 2: Skills & Roles
| Area | You (1–5) | Them (1–5) | Gap Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product / UX thinking | |||
| Engineering / technical depth | |||
| Sales / business development | |||
| Marketing / growth | |||
| Finance / fundraising | |||
| Hiring / people management |
Rule of thumb: You want complementary skills, not duplicate ones. If both of you are engineers, who handles sales?
Section 3: Work Style
- ☐ How many hours per week are you willing to commit? (Be specific: M–F 9–6, or nights + weekends)
- ☐ Remote, hybrid, or co-located?
- ☐ How do you handle disagreements?
- ☐ How do you make decisions when you disagree?
- ☐ What’s your communication style? (Slack all day, async, daily standup)
- ☐ How do you handle stress and deadlines?
Section 4: Financial & Equity
- ☐ How long can you work without a salary? (months)
- ☐ What equity split are you expecting? (50/50 is common but not mandatory)
- ☐ Are you willing to vest over 4 years with a 1-year cliff?
- ☐ Who puts in initial capital (if needed)?
- ☐ What happens to equity if one person leaves?
Section 5: Commitment & Deal-Breakers
- ☐ Are you going full-time or part-time?
- ☐ What’s your runway? How long before you need income?
- ☐ Do you have other commitments (job, school, family)?
- ☐ What are your personal deal-breakers?
- ☐ Are you willing to sign a co-founder agreement?
Section 6: The Trial Period
Before committing, work together for 2–4 weeks on a small project. Evaluate:
- Did they deliver what they promised?
- Was communication easy or stressful?
- Did they handle feedback well?
- Would you enjoy working with them every day for 5 years?
Scoring
Green (7+ matches): Strong alignment. Move forward with a formal co-founder agreement.
Yellow (4–6 matches): Discuss the gaps openly. Can you compromise?
Red (0–3 matches): Likely not the right fit. Keep looking — Zolra Intelligence can help you find better matches.