Friday, March 16, 2007

Single vs. Multiple Founders


Over the last couple of years, I've learned one very good lesson about startups.

You shouldn't try to do it alone.

Yes, of course, I had my team (mostly 20 somethings in their first real high tech jobs), but the burden of getting the company going, funding it and figuring out where to take it was always my responsibility.

The next time I do a new startup, it's going to be with a partner.

Ever talk to a single mom or dad? Virtually all of them will tell you it's the most difficult thing they've done in their entire lives (parenting in general can be this way, but it's greatly amplified for single parents).

Startups are a little like that. It's a new baby, created by you. Trying to do and be all things as a single founder is damned difficult.

So, with that said, and with a BoD that's very good at recognizing that single founders have a hard time of it, we've brought on a partner for me here at ClickCaster.

I wrote a post on how startups need BOTH a King Aurthur and a Merlin. That's what we've done here at ClickCaster.

More in a future post.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right on brother, huge lesson learned. Your comparison to single mom an dad couldn't be more accurate. I think the problem lies less in the recognition of value and more in recognition of need. Ego's are heavily attached to new ventures, there can be a sense of failure or inadequacy if one accepts he/she is better off with a partner. Having the humility to recognize your limitations and the value of adding one or more players only brings a greater probability of success is the first sign you are headed in the right direction.

The Lal said...

Scott,

Single founder startups are real hard.

U need that 'someone' not just from a work aspect but someone to bounce ideas off, argue with, encourage, share moments, get mad at ....

Having just co-workers just doesn't hack it.

Lal

An excellent read from an ex-evangelical.

  As you know, I once was an evangelical megachurch pastor and my pastoral career stretched over many years. Eventually, I could no longer t...