Minimum Viable Founding Team: Why It Matters More Than Your MVP
Your startup idea will change. Your co-founders probably won't.
By Tristan Kromer · Quick Answer: Your founding team matters more than your idea because startups almost always pivot, and daily work is mostly tedious tasks far removed from the grand vision. The insidious mistake is seeking co-founders “committed to the idea” — instead, find people committed to you as a person. As entrepreneurs, we need to recognize that people aren’t loyal to companies; they’re loyal to other people. Pick co-founders who’ll stick with you through pivots and monotony, not ones married to a specific idea.
Minimum Viable Founding team- Dharmesh Shah often puts out some great articles so I was pleased to read one on Choosing a Minimum Viable Co-founder. Having spent a lot of time on that subject while running a site dedicated to helping people find co-founders, I enjoyed this sentiment:
They’re committed to the company, not just the current idea. Anecdotal data suggests that as fantastic as you may think your idea is, your idea will likely change… If your co-founder in founding team is married to a specific manifestation of an idea, trouble will brew when the company is no longer pursuing that exact idea in that exact way. You need a co-founder for founding team that’s committed to the cause — and committed to you.
I only wish the emphasis was more on the people and not “the company” or “the idea.” I have always found the pervasive quest to find a rockstar business guy or a ninja developer to be ridiculous, but the pursuit of someone who is “committed to the idea” is far more insidious because it’s less obviously flawed. Why wouldn’t you want a co-founder who’s in love with your idea? You won’t be working on your big idea The biggest issue with the big idea is that you rarely get to work on it and even if you do, the details of it are far less fun that sitting around your living room on your third or fourth beer dreaming about how cool the world will be and how much money you’ll make. Startups kind of suck. They’re also pretty awesome, but they frequently suck. You’re a big data engineer! You’ve ready to build infrastructure to serve millions of people! You’re going to change the world and bring peace to cats and dogs! So what are you doing on a day to day basis? Optimizing the color of the signup button. Reading the can-spam act to make sure you’re not about to be sued. Yay. Drop the confetti and ballons. Let’s face it, there is a lot of tedium involved in a startup. The big dream is great, but you’re going to be focused tiny baby steps. So if your co-founder is only interested the grand scheme of things and can’t deal with the journey, find a new co-founder. Companies aren’t People I hate to disagree with the Supreme Court, but the concept that companies have the exact same rights as people is the stupidest concept I’ve ever heard of outside of the Jimmy Dean Pancake & Sausage on a stick monstrosity…now with chocolate chips. But I digress… People aren’t committed to companies, they’re committed to people. When a Facebook employee says they’re committed to Facebook the company, they’re lying. (More to themselves than to you.) They’re probably committed to their co-workers, their boss, and of course…Mark Zuckerberg. You can bet that if Mark Zuckerberg went up and kicked them in the shins repeatedly, their love of Facebook the company would fade as quickly as the barrage of expletives were uttered. Of course, there are people who are deeply committed to inanimate objects. But let’s put the people that are inclined to marry the Eifel tower aside. (Yep…check it out here.) People are People People will be your co-founders, people will be your customers, and people will hold you up in the hard times. Make sure you pick the right ones who are committed to you, as a person. Because a company will never remember your birthday. Cheers, Tristan
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a founding team more important than having a great idea?
Your idea will almost certainly change, and the day-to-day reality of a startup involves tedious work far removed from the original vision. A strong founding team committed to each other as people — not just an idea — is what carries you through pivots, monotony, and hard times. As entrepreneurs, we need co-founders who stick with us, not just with the concept.
What’s wrong with finding a co-founder who’s committed to your idea?
It’s insidious because it seems like a good thing. But if your co-founder is married to one specific manifestation of an idea, they’ll resist when the company inevitably pivots. The real danger is that “committed to the idea” sounds right but falls apart the moment reality forces changes — which it almost always does in startups.
What does day-to-day startup work actually look like?
Forget the grand vision of changing the world. Most days involve unglamorous tasks like optimizing signup button colors, reading legal compliance documents, and taking tiny baby steps. If your founding team can’t embrace this tedious journey and only cares about the big dream, you’re headed for trouble.
Are people really committed to companies or to other people?
People are committed to people, not companies. When someone says they’re loyal to a company, they usually mean they’re loyal to their co-workers, their boss, or the founder. A founding team works because of personal commitment between its members — your co-founders need to be committed to you as a person, because a company will never remember your birthday.
How should I choose the right co-founder for my founding team?
Look for someone committed to you as a person and to the broader cause, not just the current idea. Skip the search for “rockstar” developers or “ninja” business people. Instead, find someone who can handle the tedium, adapt when plans change, and stay invested in the relationship — because that’s what will sustain your startup through inevitable pivots and tough times.
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