Jan Gunash

I’ve been deep in Canada’s tech ecosystem for about a decade now, and during that time I’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of founders. One thing that has stood out is how challenging it is to build a founding team, whether that means selecting a co-founder or early team members.

I want to share the factors I consider when choosing a co-founder.

Finding a co-founder who fits well is as hard as dating. I wish it were as simple as matching complementary skill sets like a business founder with a technical founder, but it is far more complicated. Here are the key traits I look for in a co-founder:

Impact driven: rewards in a startup are scarce in the early stages, and losses are far more common than wins. It is easier to work with someone who stays fired up after a setback and has taken a few hits before.

Trustworthy: life is less stressful when you can fully trust your partner to do what needs to be done.

High emotional intelligence: startups and life are both complicated. Sometimes one needs to take priority over the other, and sometimes one affects the other. It helps to work with someone who understands that.

Calm demeanour: calm people are easier to talk to, which keeps communication steady and reliable.

Complementary and opposing traits: work with someone who can challenge your blind spots and whose blind spots you can challenge. Complementary skill sets such as technical and non-technical are valuable too.

Efficient communicator: get to the point quickly. If it is a serious conversation, hold it in person or at least over the phone.

Positive attitude and realist: you need someone who can bounce back as fast as you can after a rejection. This optimism fuels the long sprints after a “no,” but you also need someone who can pivot or stop a pivot when necessary.

High ethics: good people attract good people, and shortcuts eventually hurt everyone.

Great work ethic and balance: experienced founders know burnout and therefore understand balance.

Knows when to take a break: rest is strategic; know when to take a day off and listen to your body.

Experience in failure: find someone who has lost as much as you have; it shows they have tried new things many times.

Similar life priorities: align family, health, and wealth goals now or face costly negotiations later.

Risk tolerant: having a partner with similar risk tolerance reduces stress.

Shared time horizon: startups are long-term ventures, often seven to twelve years.

Long-term personal compatibility: you will spend as much time with your co-founder as with anyone else, so build mutual respect and care.

High learning velocity: moving fast requires constant learning.

Bias for action: agree on what “good enough” means; rapid building and testing drive market success.

I’m now building Marsland Institute alongside my co-founder, Vince. Because we had already spent a couple of years working together, the shift into startup mode was seamless. Within a month of first riffing on the idea, I flew across the country to meet him in person and we capped the trip by attending SLUSH, one of the world’s premier founder conferences as fresh co-founders. I’m looking forward to sharing the early lessons we’ve picked up, and in my next piece I’ll unpack exactly what I value in a founding team.