RS366: When (and how) To Pick a Co-Founder

RS366: When (and how) To Pick a Co-Founder

Author: Craig Hewitt September 8, 2026 Duration: 41:23
Should you build your next company alone, or find a co-founder? It's a question that has no easy answer, and AI is making it even more complicated. If one person can now build, market, and operate far more of a business with the help of AI, does having a co-founder still make sense? Today, Craig and co-host Colin Gray dig into the realities of being a solo founder versus building a company with a partner. They talk about the benefits of having another person to share the load, challenge your thinking, keep you accountable, and be completely honest about the business - along with the risks that come with tying yourself to someone for years. If you're a solo founder wondering whether you're missing something by going it alone (or maybe you're considering bringing someone into your business), this episode is for you. Highlights from Craig and Colin’s conversation: Why having a co-founder can make the entrepreneurial journey dramatically less lonely How AI is changing the traditional argument for having a co-founder Why another brain in the business may be more valuable than another specific skill set The role of accountability, honest feedback, and staying focused What to consider before choosing a business partner Why personality, communication style, and problem-solving approach matter so much The importance of agreeing on what you actually want from the business How equity splits can create problems when partners join at different stages Options vs. profit sharing as ways to reward employees How to build a leadership team that can eventually operate without the founder The advantages of speed, flexibility, and control as a solo founder Why AI may be making solo-founded companies more viable than ever Resources and Links from This Episode: Produced by Castos Productions: https://castos.com/productions/  Sam Paar blog post: https://joinhampton.com/blog/the-template-that-made-sure-my-co-founder-and-i-were-perfect-partners  The Podcast Host: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/  Colin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colinmcgray?originalSubdomain=uk  Castos Free Tools: castos.com/tools Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com  Find me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hewitt-78386a66/  Email: podcast@roguestartups.com

Behind every new company is a story, and Rogue Startups digs into the real ones-the messy, uncertain, and exhilarating paths founders actually walk. This isn't about polished success tales; it's a candid look at the day-to-day grind of building a business from the ground up. You'll hear directly from entrepreneurs in the thick of it, along with seasoned experts who specialize in the crucial engines of growth: sales, marketing, and product development. Conversations focus on practical tactics, particularly around scaling productized services and SaaS offerings, exploring the real "how" behind their growth hacking strategies. The value of this podcast lies in that shared experience-hearing how others navigate the very obstacles you might be staring down, and learning what moves actually led to a win. It’s for anyone who prefers the unvarnished truth of entrepreneurship over theory, offering a sense of camaraderie and a toolbox of ideas drawn from the front lines. Tune in for authentic dialogue that skips the fluff and gets straight to the challenges and victories of building something new.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Rogue Startups
Podcast Episodes
RS336: Claude Project Deep Dive with Alison French [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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RS335: Evaluating AI Model Performance with Stuart Grey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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RS333: Grading My Business (and yours!) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:03
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RS332: Competing with Stripe and Hubspot (ft. Geoff Roberts) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:14
Hey everyone! Just had an awesome chat with Geoff Roberts from Outseta (outseta.com). They're doing something pretty wild - basically smashing together Stripe and HubSpot into one platform for subscription businesses. Ho…
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Duration: 9:23
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RS330: Product-Led Playbook with Wes Bush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:52
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Duration: 14:20
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RS328: Are you Productive or Effective as a founder? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:27
Running a business is both incredibly rewarding and exhausting. Over the years, I’ve experienced highs of motivation and productivity, but I’ve also hit those low points, battling burnout and loneliness. In this post, I…
RS327: 3 Traits Of Successful Founders w/ Rob Walling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
Craig has TinySeed’s Rob Walling in the hot seat today. They’re chatting about defining, attaining, and maintaining success. What does success mean to you? How do focus, clarity, and execution fit into it? Rob, a leading…