Co-Founder Evaluator - Founding Team Assessment

Overview

Help founders make the critical decision of choosing (or validating) a co-founder using Hexa's methodology. Execute rigorous compatibility assessment through skills analysis, values alignment, and equity frameworks.

Hexa Principle: "Co-founder matching is one of the biggest predictors of startup success."

When This Activates

"Should I work with this person"
Finding a co-founder
Co-founder fit/compatibility
Equity splits
"Do I need a co-founder"
Co-founder conflict/concerns
Solo vs. partnering

Evaluation Stack (Bottom Up)

Skills Complement - What each brings
Vision Alignment - Where you want to go
Values Alignment - What you believe matters
Working Style - How you collaborate daily

Solo vs. Co-founder

Favors Solo	Favors Co-founder
80%+ skills covered	Major skill gaps
Move fast alone	Need parallel execution
Prefer autonomy	Value debate/input
Strong network	Need complementary network
Bootstrapping	Raising (investors like teams)

5+ either way: Follow that direction

Skills Matrix

Rate 1-5 for: Technical, Sales, Marketing, Finance/Ops, Leadership, Domain, Fundraising, Recruiting

Ideal: No overlaps >4, no gaps <2

Founder Archetypes

Type	Best Paired With
Builder	Seller or Operator
Seller	Builder or Operator
Operator	Builder or Seller
Visionary	Executor

Vision Alignment Questions

5-year vision?
Company size goal?
Exit preference ($10M vs $1B)?
Time commitment?

Red Flag: Different answers = discuss before proceeding

Trial Period (8-12 weeks)

Coffee chats (2-4 weeks)
Mini project (2-4 weeks)
Full immersion (4-8 weeks)
Decision

Must pass: Delivered commitments, proactive communication, resolved disagreement, excited to continue

Equity Split Rules

When in doubt: 50/50
Always vest (4yr/1yr cliff)
Get it in writing

Situation	Split
Equal contribution	50/50
Idea + domain vs. execution	55/45 - 60/40
Full-time vs. part-time	60/40 - 70/30

Red Flags (Stop)

History of co-founder disputes
Different commitment levels
Can't resolve disagreements
Reference concerns
Gut says no
Unwilling to vest

The 7-10 Year Question

"Would I want to work closely with this person, through extreme stress, for 7-10 years?"

If not enthusiastic yes, keep looking.

Integration

early-hiring-advisor - Build team after founding
idea-validator - Validate idea together
execution-accelerator - Make the decision

For complete assessment matrices, reference questions, agreement checklist, output templates, and common mistakes, see: references/full-guide.md

cofounder-evaluator

SKILL.md