Prior to starting Kaibigan Connection, Rigel and I were both solopreneurs, each having our own service-based businesses. When we initially met back in 2017, we had no intention of starting a business together.
It’s been almost a year and a half since we had our first event. From celebrating our 1-year anniversary to the launch of this website, so much has happened since then. One thing we’ve realized is that having a co-founder is like being in a serious relationship. You will end up spending a lot of time with them and/or a lot of time talking to them.
Having a co-founder is like being in a marriage. There has to be chemistry and compatibility. Click To TweetAn important thing to take note of is that if you do not get along, cannot work through your differences, find a solution to problems or neither of you are on the same page when it comes to the overall vision, then the business will suffer greatly.
After our initial coffee date in early 2018, we kept in touch via social media and supported each other’s businesses. We got to know each really well when we started working on Kaibigan Connection.
Just like when you live with/work with/travel with someone, you learn a lot about someone when you run a business together. You experience the highs and the lows together, which can happen quite often, several times a week, even several times in a day!
Many things have contributed to the success of the social venture thus far, but I think one big thing is that we are both action-takers. Not only that we’re both quite organized. We have ideas, we make plans and we execute them. The fact that we both had business experience before Kaibigan Connection has also helped us tremendously.
If you are considering bringing on another founder, check out the reasons below why having a co-founder can help your business.
5 Reasons Why a Co-founder Can Help Your Business
1. Bounce Ideas Off Of Each Other and Give Feedback
Ever have that instance where you’ve been working on something so intently and for such a long time, you don’t want to look at it anymore? Or you can’t work on it anymore? A co-founder is a fresh pair of eyes that can review and give constructive feedback on your ideas.
2. Keeps You Motivated
The harsh reality is that entrepreneurship can be tough AF and can also be quite isolating at times. Unless someone is an entrepreneur themselves, they may not be able to relate to what you’re going through or provide valuable advice. Having a co-founder is also like having a cheerleader and someone to ride the startup roller coaster with you.
3. Helps Manage The Workload
When you’re in the early stages of running a business, you end up wearing A LOT of different hats. It often feels like your to-do list is never-ending. While it can still be overwhelming when you’re a small team, a co-founder means another person, which means more work can get done to grow the business.
Or if one co-founder has another commitment/goes on vacation, they can rest easy knowing that the other co-founder has got them covered.
4. Different Skillset, Personalities and Experience
No two people are alike – co-founders can bring different skillset, schools of thought and experience to the table, enhancing the business overall. Between the two of us, we have a plethora of skills -such as event planning, bookkeeping, email marketing, social media strategy, blogging, and business development.
We also have very different personalities. I’m an INTP, whereas Rigel is an ENFJ.
5. Tackle Problems Together
As an entrepreneur, you need to be a problem solver because whether you like it or not, you will constantly run into obstacles. It’s important to learn how to deal with them. A co-founder can make it less stressful and provide the support you need.