Solo Founder Approach

In the startup world, it’s often said you need a co-founder. While many agree, But sometimes we don’t need.

If we think of investment as a bank loan. Does that mean we need to get married to get a loan? :)

Many people want to start a business, but not all aim for a VC-fundable one. Often, they lack certain skills or time, leading to the need for hiring staff.

One of funny things I heard from some founders is, “This is my business, but I need a co-founder, they should be a free (no salary) employee with minimal equity (< 5%), because this is a startup.”

People often complain: I can’t find my co-founder, and startups are hard. Here’s why startups feel hard for many:

• They want to start without using their own money.
• They want to hire without offering proper salaries.
• They want to give a co-founder title with minimal equity but expect them to act like an equal partner (50:50).

This is likely because we rarely consider starting a company as a solo founder. Not all businesses need a co-founder or investment, but we need to understand what we are doing.

It’s time to re-think about the solo founder approach.

#startups #founders