# The co-founder stress test - template

A structured exercise to surface co-founder misalignment before it's expensive. Run this before you incorporate.

**How to use it:** Each founder answers Part 1 alone, in writing. Then meet in person (a long lunch works) and talk through everything in Part 2, using your written answers as the raw material.

Goal: find the places you don't agree while it's still cheap to resolve them.

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## Part 1: written exercises

*Do these alone, in writing. Bring your answers to the session.*

### 1. Values autopsy

Pick 2-3 companies you admire and 2-3 you don't. Write a few words on why for each.

Look for the pattern in your answers. What traits do you keep rewarding? What do you reject?

### 2. What kind of company do you want to build?

Pick the 1-2 archetypes that best describe your ideal outcome. If none fits, write your own.

| Type | Team | Revenue | Users | Funding | Example |
|------|------|---------|-------|---------|---------|
| Small and profitable | 5-10 | $1M+ ARR | 5-10K | None / self-funded | Basecamp |
| Bootstrap first, raise later | 10-20 | ~$100K ARR before raising | 10K+ | Only after traction | Mailchimp |
| Build to sell | 10-20 | $2-5M ARR | 20-50K | Seed / Series A | Loom |
| Venture-scale | 50-100+ | $50M+ ARR | 100K+ | $5-20M+ raised | Figma |
| Impact-first | 20-50 | Margins secondary | 1M+ | Mission-aligned capital | Wikipedia |

### 3. Strengths and gaps

Fill in the grid for yourself.

| | Strength | Gap |
|---|----------|-----|
| #1 | | |
| #2 | | |

Then read each other's. What does your co-founder bring that you don't? What gaps do you share (that's the dangerous one)?

### 4. Minimum salary

What's the minimum monthly salary you'd need to stay fully focused - no side gigs, no consulting, no freelance temptation? Factor in rent, obligations, lifestyle. No judgment. Real numbers.

### 5. "My number"

What financial outcome from this company would feel like success to you? Not a fantasy. A real target that would make the risk worth it. Bound it by a timeframe.

### 6. Letter of concerns

Write down 3 things that worry you about this venture. Risks, fears, doubts - anything. Be honest. The point is to get these on the table early, not to solve them yet.

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## Part 2: reflection prompts

*No need to write full answers. Come with a point of view.*

1. **Why do you want to be a founder / build a company?**
2. **What is non-negotiable for you?** In how we work, how we treat people, how we make decisions.
3. **If we raise a seed round, what's the first thing you'd want to spend on?** And what would you refuse to spend on?
4. **Team growth:** When will we need more people? What would be your first hire?
5. **Personal risk check:** Is there anything in your personal life that could derail your focus or commitment in the next 12 months? Health, family, finances, housing, relationships. Come ready to talk about it.
6. **If we can't raise the angel round, what do we do?** A plan, not a reaction.
7. **How do you feel about side quests** - advising, consulting, angel investing? Be honest about existing commitments.
8. **What's the earliest signal that would make you seriously consider stopping?** Not the obvious death spiral. The leading indicator.

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## How to run the session

1. Swap written answers the day before. Read them. Don't reply yet.
2. At the session, go prompt by prompt. For each, say what jumped out from the other person's answer - agreements, surprises, disagreements.
3. Flag every divergence. Don't skip past them. Don't let one person's stronger conviction settle the question by default.
4. End with the operational stuff: how often will you sync, what rituals will you commit to, what's the process when you disagree later.
5. Write down what you decided. The document is the point. A decision you can't find later is a decision that didn't happen.

If you finish and realize you're not aligned on something fundamental - how big to build, how much risk to take, what you refuse to compromise on - you just saved yourself a lot of pain.