Open Coffee Club
27 April
Bangalore
The theme of this week’s Open Coffee Club was start-up co-founders, and how they can actually make or break a start-up. Close to 25 people turned up on Sunday morning to discuss and share their experiences.
There was much debate about the characteristics that define good co-founders. For example, most agreed the team should be made up of people who complement each other with the value they bring to the company.
Another issue was that of individual ego while taking joint decisions. Harsha J, who co-founded advertising start-up Adventure Advertising Solutions straight out of college, said one should respect a co-founder as an individual without letting ego come in between. Most felt that even among co-founders, someone should lead, and be able to manage conflict within the team.
Prateek Dayal, co-founder of music sharing website Muziboo.com spoke about benefits of starting alone and looking for a co-founder at a later stage.
This would help one identify exactly the additional skills required to build the company and expectations would be clear. He related his experience of trying to start a company in the retail space. While he was serious about the venture, his co-founder treated it as a hobby and quit mid-way.
Interestingly, most attendees agreed that argument within the team is not a bad sign, but a healthy one, as such start-ups tend to fight for success.
While perfect harmony may not exist, success has to happen. As one attendee summed it up: “Commitment, accountability, focus and openness towards feedback are the parameters to look for in a co-founder.”
Vaibhav Pandey works with a software multinational company in Bangalore and coordinates Open Coffee Clubs in the city. He blogs at http://technofriends.in/