Before co-founding a company with someone, I'd run one test:
Go on vacation together. (with partner and kids if possible)
Same Airbnb.
Same dinners.
Same unexpected shit hitting the fan.
Why?
Because you'll see the truth.
↳ How they deal with stress
↳ How they treat people who can't push back
↳ How their ego shows up when no one's watching
I've ignored red flags in the past.
Thinking « it's fine, we're just co-founders, not family. »
But when someone blows up at their partner or kids without reason,
you better believe that darkness will hit your startup too.
And when it does, it won't be a weekend trip.
It'll be board meetings, layoffs, existential fear.
And you'll be chained to someone who shouldn't even be in your life.
If I had trusted what I saw on that trip,
I'd have walked away.
Instead, I held on, because the stakes were high.
Fatal mistake.
Now?
If I can't spend 3 days in the same space without discomfort,
I'm out. No matter how smart or connected they are.
Startups are brutal.
Choose your co-founders like you'd choose a life partner.
Grateful I found Fabien — someone I'd go to war with, anytime.
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👋 Hey, I'm J.Y!
I'm the co-founder of BuddiesHR, the #1 suite of Slack apps.
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