Many founders start out alone, usually with a business idea. Often, this is followed by further steps that individuals can still take themselves: developing a business model or creating a business plan, for example. But at the latest when it comes to the effective implementation of the theory, an excellent team is needed. But how do you put it together?? We show you the most popular constellations when founding a company as a team.
Founding in a team: Founding with friends
Friends can be the ideal business partners. The thought is also obvious, after all you sometimes know each other since the sandbox. The example of Bluebird Mountain from Hamburg shows that it can be worthwhile to build a team among friends.
We met at university, or rather we have been friends in various constellations since our school days. The foundation was mainly inspired by countless skiing vacations we spent together.
Konstantin Kollar from Bluebird Mountain also considers the admission of limits to be particularly important when founding a company as a team:
Tell each other early on when you need breaks, and take them and allow each other to have them.
However, founding among buddies does not always work. You can read about the advantages and disadvantages of such a combination in the article on founding with friends. Whether with friends or other constellations: Just because you get along well in private doesn't necessarily make you good business partners. (Photo: piktochart)
Family members as co-founders
Starting a business with your own parents or siblings? For some unimaginable, for others like the founders of NautilusLog the beginning of a success story. Otto Klemke sees great advantages in founding a company with family members – but also points out that there is friction from time to time:
You don't really get to know people until there's a spat. You can skip this step here. But that doesn't mean that things won't go wrong at some point. Open communication can help a lot.
Similar to founding a company among friends, however, the same applies here: If you get along well in your private life, you don't necessarily have to work together in business. Before founding a company, you should therefore carefully consider whether you are a good match for each other on this level as well.
Founding with relationship partners
You have a partner at your side who goes through thick and thin with you? Why not found a start-up together?? Many successful entrepreneurial couples show that this can work out excellently. After all, you already go about your daily lives together, so you know each other's strengths and weaknesses very well. For Benedikt Sauter of the start-up Xentral, it's clear that founding the company together with his wife Claudia has given him the support he needs along the way:
My wife Claudia and I founded the company together. Two weeks of permanent employment are my balance sheet. I realized right away that I wanted to be my own boss. That's why we decided to set up production together. The best decision from today's perspective.
The constellation of a partnership is particularly exciting for a foundation, because it can also result in tax advantages. For example, in a marriage. Of course, this option is not an absolute recipe for success – sometimes it can even hurt to combine a love affair with the founding of a company. Whether founding a company with your life partner is a burden or an enrichment for love, you can find out here.
Women are still rare as founders
When researching the topic of "founding together," we noticed that women are still underrepresented in startups. In 2017, for example, the proportion of women founders in Germany was just 29 percent full-time and 44 percent part-time. This chart shows a negative trend in the proportion of women in the already male-dominated start-up scene in Germany over the last few years. (Graphic: Statista) The reasons for this are many and varied: for example, the desire to have children, but also the greater fear of failure compared to men, play a role. More mixed or female teams would be a real enrichment for the still male-dominated start-up landscape in Germany.
Five key basics – no matter who you start with
Whatever constellation you decide on when founding a team: It is important that decisive aspects connect you with each other. This includes the following five.
#1 Vision
The shared vision should be clear from the start. Where do you want to go and what will inspire you on this long road to a successful company??
#2 Clarify the form of the business
GbR, UG or even a GmbH (limited liability company)? Right from the start, it is essential that you agree on the form of the company. Otherwise your best business ideas can fail because of this organizational hurdle.
#3 Looks at the ability to work in a team
Are your friends reliable and punctual for moves? Can your brother handle money? Is the partner capable of criticism?? If you can answer these or similar questions unreservedly with "yes", there is nothing standing in the way of founding a company together. Deficits in this area, however, can lead to difficulties in business.
#4 More sympathy than competence?
Never start a business with someone just because you want to help them out of a difficult time. For example, if your partner or friend is unemployed. This can be a good option if the other person also has the appropriate skills for self-employment. But remember: You want to found a start-up, which requires a lot of energy, know-how and commitment. This requires an unbiased view of the competencies of your co-founder, regardless of his or her life situation.
#5 Founding in a team needs clear structures
You can save yourselves a lot of trouble if you make sure right from the start that everyone knows exactly what their own area of activity is. Therefore, determine as early as possible who has which tasks and where the boundaries lie.