One of the questions I get asked a lot is “How do I find my co-founder?”. The question always leaves me baffled — as it’s such a personal and individual thing. Over the years I have heard anything from “my co-founder is my brother — literally” to “we met at a bar and got completely wasted”.
With that being said — here’s probably my best piece of advice on this particular subject (and no — it’s not rocket science, so don’t get your hopes up):
Create a list of all the people you would want to start a company with. Then ask.
Start that list now. Even if you don’t want to start a company at the moment. It might come handy in the future. And if not — at least you have a list of all the awesome people in your life.
Remember: This is a lot like dating. You will go through some very painful experiences with your co-founder. Make sure that she/he doesn’t only tick all the boxes in the skill set department but that you actually like each other. Go for a hike, drink a few beers together, find a topic you strongly disagree about and argue. Take your time. This is probably the most important decision in your startup.