Does Having A Co-founder Make Your Startup More Successful? 'A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times'

By Komal Nathani

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

graphicstock

What's wrong in having a single founder? Almost every founder asks this question to himself before starting a business, but invariably searches for a partner who shares his vision and nurtures similar business goals.

Entrepreneurs are divided in their opinions on this. One group believes that too many founders lead to internal conflicts while another has the conviction that an ideal co-founder will contribute enormously towards the growth of a company.

Renowned entrepreneur, programmer and author Paul Grahman often gives examples in his blog of companies like Oracle that have more than one founding member to establish his views.

It takes a lot more to run a profitable business than one can think of. Only one who can think from a broader prospective, can take a wise decision.

Entrepreneur India talked to multiple players in the startup community to know how having more than one founder can help a company grow faster than one brain can.

Distribution of Work Reduces Pressure

A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times, said Sandeep Jaiswal, Co-founder of MiStay, who leads operation and business development at MiStay.

A partner with complimenting skill-sets and different style of thinking is important to help avoid mistakes one would otherwise make, he stressed.

Mistay Founder Pranav seconded Jaiswal's views stating, "Multiple founders with complementary skills bring in wider perspective to the team."

Pranav manages design and tech team and focuses on technology related growth initiatives.

Jaiswal did not agree to the fact that startups with single founders end up losing ground in market. Instead, he argued, "There is no denial that many single founders are running their companies successfully. But, it's relatively difficult for a single founder to succeed."

Multiple skill sets are required to perform different tasks and it's nearly impossible for a single person to be good at all of these. It's rather relatively easier if responsibilities are split between two people, each handling the duties he is good at, Jaiswal stressed.

Single founders are less preferred in case of fundraising and such arrangement reduces the chances of a startup's success.

"While taking key decisions and at high pressure situations, it's always preferable to have someone who can provide support and an alternative perspective," Pranav enthused.

Broader Perspectives, Wider Vision

"No two people think identically and this brings in a different approach to decision making. It helps the company in the long run, exclaimed 38-year old Subramanya SV, Co-founder of Mutual Fund App Fisdom.

Subramanya said two or more partners always bring an ease in business operations. "Even at the time of ideating, an entrepreneur needs a bouncing board — someone whom he/she can trust."

Makes Multitasking Easier

It gets too easier for you to think about the other growth prospects when you have somebody to take care of work. From business development to managing good investor relations to brainstorming with team, you get a helping hand in carrying out multiple functions, said Manish Lunia, Co-founder FlexiLoans.

He added he had been really fortunate to have founders who compliments his skills and share similar traits.

Komal Nathani

Former Correspondent, Entrepreneur Asia Pacific

A firm believer of hard work and patience. Love to cover stories that hold a potential to change the momentum of business world. Currently, a part of all-women web team of Entrepreneur’s Asia Pacific edition to jig the wheel of business journalism!

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growing a Business

Walter Elias Disney

Uncle Walt

Fundraising

These 30 International Entrepreneurs Really Are Solving the World's Problems

The world has countless problems, unless you're an entrepreneur, in which case the world has countless opportunities.

News and Trends

NeoSapien Secures INR 80 Lakhs on Shark Tank India 4 for AI Wearable

Founded in 2024 by Dhananjay Yadav and Aryan Yadav, NeoSapien aims to integrate AI into daily life through its wearable technology

Business News

'I Want the Best People on Our Teams': Meta Is Laying Off More Than 3,000, CEO Mark Zuckerberg Calls for 'Extensive Performance-Based Cuts' — Read the Memo

In an internal memo shared on Tuesday, Zuckerberg said it's "going to be an intense year" at the company.