one minute blog: the #1 trait for a cofounder

Confession. I’ve been playing hard to get for 2 weeks. 

I didn’t send the One Minute Blog to see if anyone would email me saying: “Hey?? Where’s my Friday email??” 

Needy? Absolutely.

I don’t deny it. But what’s important was that a bunch of you did email saying you miss these. So it’s back. 

Today’s One Minute Blog is answering a reader question:

Today’s word count: 497 words.

Estimated read time: 1 min 49 sec.

Great question. 

I have an answer. And it’s not what you might expect.

And..before we get confused – when I say partner, I mean business partner. Like Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger. 

(Btw. This same advice works for romantic partners - but nobody is subscribed for my dating advice…so let’s stick to business) 

Speaking of ole’ Buffett: his answer to this question 3 words:  “Intelligence, Energy, & Integrity”.

Makes sense, because the opposite would be a dumb, lazy, crook. 

Well, mine is even simpler. 1 word: down.

Let me explain: 

If business was a recipe, it would be 2 cups ambition, 1 cup strange, and 3 tablespoons of emotional rollercoaster. 

1) Ambition – you want a partner who’s down to swing big (even though it sounds crazy). Does your partner get more excited the more ambitious the idea gets?

2) Strange – all truly great ideas sound weird at first (otherwise, someone would already be doing it). 

• Uber - getting in a stranger’s car. 

• AirBnB - sleeping on a stranger’s couch

• Grindr - having s*x with a stranger in the 2nd floor bathroom at Macy’s 

You get the idea. New ideas are strange (and often involve strangers..) 

Look at the email attached from Joe to his partner Brian:

This email created AirBnB (an $80B company). You can only send this email to a partner who you know might be down to try a crazy idea. 

3) Emotional Rollercoaster – Most companies pivot…

Instagram started as Burbn. Slack was a video game. YouTube was a dating app. Play-Doh was an appliance cleaner. 

You need a partner who’s down to throw everything out the window, and make a U-Turn mid flight. 

I promised this was about business, but think about it. All of life’s great adventures: marriage, having kids, backpacking through Europe, starting a business. 

Adventures don’t need high IQ. You need a partner who’s down to take the leap of faith. 

So there you have it. Sure, intelligence and work ethic are great. Everyone knows that.

But the most underrated thing? Finding someone who’s down. 

-Shaan

P.S. - Down isn’t just a yes man who agrees with any stupid decision you make. It just means they’re open to it, and you don’t have to filter your thoughts because you’re worried how they will react. 

P.P.S. - I say all this from experience. My business partner (Ben) and my wife are both super down. I got lucky. I wasn’t looking for that, but now that I have it, I know how important it is.

Let me tell you about one of my favorite quotes:

To me, you’re family. So I wouldn’t lie to you either.

And when it comes to my banking** services, I use Mercury.

I use it for my personal account. My business accounts. Everything. In total, I have 6+ accounts with them.

That’s why I’m confident in recommending it, because I know it works and I know what it does.

Want in? Click here and apply.

_{**Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust®; Members FDIC.}

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