What I’ll Never Do Again When Choosing a Co-Founder

Startups rarely die because of lack of ideas.

They die in quiet, invisible ways:
Unanswered messages.
Missed calls.
“Let’s catch up tomorrow” texts that turn into weeks or months.

In the early stages, you’re not just choosing a co-founder.
You’re choosing your pressure valve. Your mirror. Your default fallback when the world says no.

I’ve worked on multiple projects with different people over the years. And while none of those projects became “the one,” each left me with a learning— the kind you only get by being in the trenches.

Here’s what I’ve learned about what not to do when choosing a co-founder:

🚩 Don’t partner with someone whose focus is divided

One common trap? Working with someone who’s still doing a full-time job and says they’ll “jump in fully soon.”

In theory, it sounds okay. But in practice, you end up carrying the emotional and executional weight of the project. You’re left guessing if they’re truly in. You’re always justifying the imbalance to yourself.

Even worse is when they build in silence — disappearing for days or weeks, then showing up with something you…