Solopreneurs vs cofounders

It’s one of the most important decisions you'll make when starting your business: to team up or go it alone.

I caught up with solopreneurs, cofounders, and people who have been on both sides of the fence to understand why they chose what they chose. Along the way, they shared tips about how to do it right, regardless of which route you take. 👇

Here's what indie hackers are choosing

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

I’m a solopreneur. Back in my first startup in college, I had a cofounder. I did it out of necessity. Let's just say that, while I did learn a lot from my cofounder, it slowed me down a lot. We weren't equally motivated. We didn’t have the same end goals. And I had to carve out like half of my time just to play cheerleader/motivational speaker to him.

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

I've done my fair share of both, and my take might be a bit different in that I've never gone looking for a cofounder, nor have I used a cofounder as a reason to not launch something.

My preference is to work with people that I genuinely want to spend time with, regardless of what we're working on. Those relationships are the priority over the work, always.

If we're talking about actual legal business co-ownership, though, I'm very slow to consider that option. I consider business partnership as complex and serious of a decision as marriage (and often, it's harder/more expensive to get out of).

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

I’ve done both. The main difference is obviously having more or fewer responsibilities yourself: A cofounder allows more work to be done, a broader expertise, complementary skills, and most importantly, being there when the other is feeling low.

On the flip side, a cofounder requires more communication, can be risky if you don't know the person well enough, and forces you to reach an agreement for the main decisions.

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

It’s been almost 2 years since my cofounder (and husband), Dan, and I started to build products together. In May 2022, we decided to quit our jobs so that we could have more freedom to travel the world and build products that are exciting to both of us. Honestly, I can not imagine a better digital nomad lifestyle setup.

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Most of my ventures have been as a solopreneur, though I've had a few cofounder experiences as well. I've always preferred having a cofounder, but I haven't had the luxury of being in very entrepreneurial circles.

👤 Jen Yip of Lunch Money:

I had a cofounder back in 2015 for another company, and I never had the idea that I could go at it alone because the venture-funded world of startups looks down on that. When I started Lunch Money in 2019, it was simply a passion project. I never thought about looking for a cofounder, mainly because the need never came up.

I slowly realized I could figure most things out myself or I knew who to bug in my network for a few minutes to help. Fast forward five years and I've learned that I simply work fastest and best on my own, and that it's more enjoyable for me overall.

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

Currently, I am an indie solopreneur, but previously, I cofounded a VC-funded startup.

Cofounding definitely helps to get places faster. But being a solopreneur gives me total control, which I value highly.

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

My experience as a solopreneur so far has really paid off for me. I’ve been able to move to another country (Thailand) which I had been thinking about doing for a long time and ship a different startup idea every month without asking anyone else. I have full control over my time.

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Four years ago, I started my startup with three other partners. In less than six months, we had hired three people, raised funds, and joined Y Combinator. It was an incredible adventure, except I felt out of place. I left after a year.

After this experience, I went solo. It's been two years now. I feel in my element, but it requires a lot of effort: Learning to prioritize well, delegate, and slow down to rest. I chose to be a solopreneur because I love being dependent on my own decisions. I don't have to justify my choices or adapt based on others' emotions. I feel like I'm doing what I love.

👤 Iron Brands of Simple Analytics:

I’ve always worked with cofounders. There are a couple of reasons why. First of all, I can’t code or build anything myself and I don’t aspire to learn how. I actually enjoy working on marketing, SEO and anything that has to do with growth. This puts me in a spot where working as a cofounder is the logical route for me.

Also, building a business is stressful and solopreneurs need to handle all the shit themselves. When I’m emotionally down, it feels so good to have someone in your corner that says, “Come on man, we got this”. We’re in this together.

Good reasons to find a cofounder

Move faster

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

You can move faster because you can work on your strengths in parallel

Find synergy

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

For me, the positives of having a cofounder are co-creation and the dialogue it takes to get there. With the right partner, we're truly creating something together. When it's good, it's not because we agree on everything, but because we come to a better answer together than we could alone.

Get perspective

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

You get more perspective, which leads to fewer blind spots. You can't see everything all the time, so having someone who can offer a different perspective and call you out on things is great.

Broader expertise

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

Complementary skills, broader expertise.

Bounce ideas

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

The biggest positive was having someone to bounce ideas off. I could immediately get a second opinion on any product or marketing idea in an instant. That said, these days you can get a second opinion from Indie Hackers, Reddit, X, etc. pretty instantly too.

Know that you're not alone

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Solopreneurship is lonely, lonely, lonely. Even when things go well, it's still lonely. LONELY.

Having someone who can share the ride with you is nice. It brings you together and affects your personal relationship in ways you might not expect.

Reduced workload

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

You can reduce your workload and increase your happiness by having your cofounder help you with some of the tasks that you either don’t want to do, aren’t good at, or don’t have time to do.

Momentum continues without you

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

As a solopreneur, if you stop, it can feel like everything stops

Continuity for the business

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

Continuity. Customers do not have to worry about you getting hit by a bus. The other founder can take things over when needed.

Find accountability

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Increased accountability. No one likes letting someone else down.

Someone to rely on

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

You can rely on a trustworthy person

Get motivated

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

If you’re feeling down and having a slow day, your cofounder can potentially motivate you to move faster.

Boost morale

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

When one is feeling low, the other can be here to cheer the other one up. And when there are wins, someone to celebrate with.

Good for non-technical founders

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

If you're not technical, you might not be able to build your product alone.

Shared responsibility

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

Having at least two opinions on crucial business decisions is nice. It’s much easier to make risky decisions thanks to shared responsibility.

Good reasons to go solo

Move fast

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

Depending on your personality and skill set, you might actually build and execute faster, due to less friction, communication, and time to reach an agreement with a cofounder.

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

You can move very fast. You don't need to discuss anything with anyone, ever. You're the first and final decision maker.

Feel empowered

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

You're also forced to pick up a wide gamut of skills from top to bottom — you need to not only be a full-stack developer but also a full-stack marketer, business development executive, CEO, and admin guy. Being capable of total self-reliance is an empowering feeling.

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

It's satisfying to say that you built something yourself. Not a lot of people can do that. When you're solo, it's genuinely impressive to say that you're the one who built the website, wrote the copy, designed the brand, handled customer support, sales, marketing, logistics, automation, and everything in between. It really sharpens (and broadens) your skill set, so it's not something to take lightly. Aside from the ego boost, it's legitimately incredibly valuable.

100% ownership

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

You own everything, you're entitled to 100% of the profits.

Work as much (or as little) as you want

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

Work as much or as little as you want. You're wholly responsible for the outcome, good or bad.

No distractions

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

There are minimal distractions unless you create them for yourself. No need to check in with a cofounder. No meetings. No Slack messages to annoy you.

No conflict

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

Cofounder relationships are a lot like any other relationship - if you’re serious about the business you’re building, you’ll be spending a lot of time around this other person that you’re working with.

This sort of environment is a pressure cooker for personality conflicts, different working styles causing disagreements, and so on. Some of these disagreements may not be obvious until you spend a year working with the other person.

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

No risk of being in conflict with a co.founder. If you're in conflict with yourself, you might just need a therapist. ;)

No compromise

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

Cofounders have to compromise and might not have total oversight of the company.

Less failure

👤 Iron Brands of Simple Analytics:

The main reason why startups fail is that cofounders break up. You need to deal with someone else’s feelings, wishes, vision and way of working.

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

Cofounders have killed more otherwise good businesses than competition, by far.

Less admin

👤 Iron Brands of Simple Analytics:

With a cofounder, you really need to deal with someone else instead of just cruising along at your own pace. This means:

• Meetings with each other to align

• Make contracts about important stuff

• Discuss different ideas, visions etc.

• Negotiations

• Feedback

More freedom

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

More freedom. If you don't feel like working for a month, it's entirely up to you, and you don't need to feel guilty towards someone else.

Never get bored

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

You have no option but to be a Jack of all trades. That’s a good option for people who easily get bored with repetitive tasks. If you’re a solopreneur, you always have a lot of tasks in different areas.

Easier to add a cofounder than remove one

👤 Jen Yip of Lunch Money:

You can always go from being a solopreneur to having cofounders, and it's usually harder the other way around!

It isn’t lonely after all

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

Some people say it can be a lonely journey. Honestly, I don't feel it at all. There's a cacophony of activity on Indie Hackers, indie Twitter, etc. of solopreneurs in the exact same boat. Loneliness is a stupid reason to onboard a cofounder and give up equity.

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How to be an effective cofounder

Do it for the right reasons

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

If you need someone's skills, but can't pay them, that's a horrible reason to bring them on as a cofounder. If you're looking for creative incentives, consider profit sharing instead of (or before) you go all in on a Cofounder relationship. They're a lot less complex and less expensive to undo.

Find a complementary cofounder

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Find someone with whom you are complementary (tech vs business) so that each can have their focus. And align as quickly as possible on your business vision.

Have conversations

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

Have conversations about how you'll handle things when they're hard and bad. Don't just be optimistic about the future, be honest about your commitment to each other as people even if the work goes away. If you don't know how to have that conversation, you might not actually be ready for a cofounder.

Talk about equity (and get a bad deal)

👤 Iron Brands of Simple Analytics:

At some point, you will need to negotiate with your cofounder about equity. It’s in your favor to NOT get the best deal for yourself. If you want to work together for a couple of years and build your business. You need to absolutely make sure that you work something out that both parties are happy with.

If you don’t, things will start to itch in your relationship and eventually break. Going in there for the long haul it's crucial to get this right.

Focus on your relationship

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Put your personal relationship with your cofounder above all else. Respect them. Treat them fairly and kindly, just as you'd like to be treated. Talk openly about how you operate, or about how you want to operate.

Hang out

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Spend time outside of work to understand each other

Be careful when mixing business with pleasure

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

I cofounded a business with my girlfriend. Long story short: We broke up, so we never got the business off the ground.

Know who is responsible

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

Always have one responsible person for one task. If both cofounders are responsible, the task will never be completed.

Have a system

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

Even though there are only 2 people, you need systems so that you don’t miss important things.

Avoid silos

👤 Sveta Bay of Founderpal:

Even though there’s a responsibility split, it’s better if both cofounders understand the whole picture. Never treat tasks with the mindset that it’s not your responsibility.

Hold yourself accountable

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Be accountable. Don't let your cofounder down. You’ve both got skin in the game. Remember that you're trying to build something that's bigger than both of y'all.

Find a compromise

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Always find a compromise so that you can move forward and make decisions.

How to be an effective solopreneur

Do it by choice (not necessity)

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

Be a solopreneur by choice, rather than by circumstance. Make sure that it aligns with your actual goals, rather than the goals other people have for you.

Make sure it’s right for you

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

Unless you really enjoy working alone (I do), try to find a cofounder.

👤 Micha Mazaheri of Paw (acquired):

I think it boils down mostly to two things:

• Your own personality. Know yourself! Do you like working with someone else or are you happier and more efficient alone? Personally, I think I'm more efficient alone.

• Do you have enough domain expertise in many areas of entrepreneurship? Can you design and build the product alone? Can you handle customers, sales, and marketing? Bonus points if you also know how to run the business (basics of legal, accounting, tax).

Build community

👤 Alex Hillman of Stacking the Bricks:

Before you lose your mind by yourself, find (or build!) a community near you. Online is nice and a lot better than nothing, but there's no replacement for the in-person sense of community. Coworking spaces can be a good start, but don't expect them to do all of the work for you. Make time to get to know the people around you. Don't pitch them, find out what you have in common besides the fact that you're a solopreneur. The strongest bonds often have nothing to do with work.

Find a rhythm

👤 Jay Tan of Zylvie:

Find out a working rhythm that works for you and is sustainable long-term. Figure out your perfect schedule, which exact days you want to work, how many hours you're aiming to clock in for each working day, and what specific tasks you want to complete. And stick to that same exact schedule. Consistency is the only way you'll succeed as a solopreneur.

Get organized

👤 Jen Yip of Lunch Money:

Since I've been most successful as a solopreneur, I will impart some tips on that front. Make sure you have a great personal knowledge management system since you'll undoubtedly have a lot of thoughts and ideas buzzing in your head non-stop.

Without a cofounder to get you back on track or to remind you of the high-level priorities, you also need to get really disciplined and organized.

Plan your time

👤 Benjamin Katz of Leave the US:

Plan out your time: I use Notion to track a simplified roadmap for what I want to build next and to note down customer feedback. At the beginning of every day, I glance at the list I have written down and decide to make progress on the top 3 items. By the end of the week, those top 3 problems should have been solved.

Cut dead weight

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

Not having a cofounder means I have to work on marketing or support; these are tasks where I perform poorly. Knowing this has forced me to make everything extremely lean; for example, I actively avoid potential customers who might need a lot of support. This means I leave a lot of money on the table.

Be disciplined

👤 Hiram Núñez of Optik Analytics:

Be disciplined. You're your own boss, but you're still a boss, right? That doesn't mean you should be rude or mean to yourself, but hold yourself to certain work standards the same way you would in a more "traditional" work environment.

Be a Jack of all trades

👤 Andris Reinman of EmailEngine:

When working as a solopreneur, make sure you understand all the roles required to operate an online business (development, operations, support, marketing, etc). You don't have to be the best at everything, but you need to acknowledge that these roles exist and that customers might have expectations for them.

Delegate

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Being a solo founder doesn't mean working alone. Quickly identify what can be delegated.

Just ship

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Don't overthink it. Ship quickly instead.

Take care of yourself

👤 Jen Yip of Lunch Money:

Most importantly, don't neglect your personal wellness– physical, emotional, and mental.

Don’t complain

👤 Julien Collet of Scheduled.so:

Don't complain. No one is there to listen.

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