"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

African proverb

In our last post, we followed Airbnb and Zoho and ended with a reminder that you do not need to do everything at once. One thing is worth doing early, though: deciding who you will build with. Both Airbnb and Zoho were built by small teams, and so was one of India's best-known companies.

How Infosys began

In July 1981, seven engineers who had worked together at Patni Computer Systems started a software company in Pune. Their leader, N. R. Narayana Murthy, had no spare money. The company's starting capital was ₹10,000 (about $250 at the time), given by his wife, Sudha Murty, from her own savings. The first office was a small flat in Pune.

The founders were Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S. D. Shibulal, K. Dinesh, N. S. Raghavan and Ashok Arora. Murthy led the company as CEO until 2002, when co-founder Nilekani took over. Not every founder stayed forever: Arora left in 1989. The company grew into a global technology firm.

Three things stand out. The founders already knew and trusted each other. Each brought a different skill. And leadership was shared and handed over within the founding group rather than fought over.

What to look for in a co-founder

  • Complementary skills. Two people with the same strengths leave the same gaps. A venture usually needs someone to build, someone to sell, and someone to keep things organised.

  • Shared commitment. Ask how many hours each person can give, and for how long. Mismatched effort is the quietest team killer.

  • Trust and honesty. You will disagree. Choose people who can do it without damaging the relationship.

  • Shared goals. One person wants a lifelong company and another wants a quick sale. Find that out early.

Where to find them

Start with people you already work with: classmates, project partners, friends of friends. Do not decide on the first conversation. Run a small trial first, such as a two-week task or a prototype, and see how you work together under a deadline.

Settle the hard questions early

Talk about these while everyone is still friends, and write the answers down.

  1. Roles. Who decides what? Who has the final word if you disagree?

  2. Ownership. How will shares be split, and why? Equal is common, but it should be a decision, not a default.

  3. Vesting. Shares are earned over time, so a founder who leaves early does not walk away with a full share.

  4. Exit. What happens if someone wants to leave, or is not pulling their weight?

The Infosys story shows why the last point matters. Even with seven close colleagues, one founder moved on. A written agreement turns that from a crisis into a plan.

Try this week

List your three strongest skills and the three skills your idea needs that you lack. Then name two people who could fill those gaps, and invite one of them to try a small task with you.

In our next post, we look at what a team should build first: how to make a small, cheap first version, through the story of Dropbox.