Tips about having a cofounder by Susan Danziger, CEO of ZIGGEO

September 30, 2019

Susan Danziger, Founder and CEO of Ziggeo, speaks with us about the importance of a Cofounder and shares tips about recruiting and having a Cofounder.

“With cofounders, if you share, work together, and have complimentary skills, the company can grow that much faster”,  Susan Danziger

Susan Danziger, Founder and CEO of Ziggeo, spoke with us and shared her insight into several different topics at hand for entrepreneurs. In this video, she explains :

• how and when cofounders are important for startups,
• the do’s and don’ts of recruiting cofounders,
• and why founders shouldn’t be afraid of having other cofounders.

Like most circumstances with startups, things are situational so there is always a unique, right decision for those companies.

The Importance of a Cofounder

Cofounders help alleviate the workload for founders. Additionally, they help the company operate more efficiently as they should bring unique skills to the table.

Complimentary skills between cofounders and founders are always important as they will allow workers to do what they’re best at.

However, Susan Danziger believes that having cofounders should depend on the company.

More often than not, founders will find themselves needing the help of another. But some founders may find that a solo environment is most productive for the company. This will most likely imply a small operation but if goals are being met, things may be fine as is.

More isn’t always necessarily better. Sometimes too many cofounders can lead to a lack of structure and clarity in what the job functions are.

Do’s and Don’ts of Recruiting Cofounders

A common expression when discussing cofounder-founder relationships is that it’s like dating.

Founders shouldn’t jump into these long-term relationships without getting to know everything there is to know about a cofounder.

Once the cofounder is brought on board, exit plans are extremely sticky situations because there is a large amount of legalities involved.

Susan Danziger provides an anecdote about how she came to be in business with the cofounder of Ziggeo. After allowing her cofounder to live in her home for the summer, she came to realize that they were compatible not only on a professional level but on a personal one as well.

Being able to work well with your cofounder with minimal conflict should be the goal.

Why Founders Shouldn’t be Afraid of Cofounders

 Bringing cofounders on board is a matter of what the company needs.

If the company needs multiple cofounders, then founders should act on that accordingly.

Similarly, if having too many people can be aversive, avoid it.

Whatever the conclusion is, ensure that the final decision is a product of reasoning as opposed to emotions.

Some people may want to hold onto ideas in secrecy in order to avoid people taking their ideas. But when you decide to share these ideas with cofounders, new ideas sprout and positive critique is given. Cofounders provide different perspectives which can be very helpful. Having the right cofounders on board creates a healthy dynamic and the success of the company will reflect this.

Finding the necessary help is vital to the success of any company.

Businesses may be able to function without much needed help but it will never be able to thrive. Founders should however be cautious about bringing in too many cofounders in an effort to find as much help as possible. Sometimes less is more.

Finding the right balance will lead to the highest chances of success.
 

About Susan Danziger

Founder and CEO of Ziggeo

Susan Danziger is the founder of Ziggeo featuring video APIs and SKDs named “best video API” by API World in 2016 and 2017. Named a Woman of Influence 2016, Susan won the 2016 SmartCEO Brava Award, and was appointed a Fellow to the Royal Society of Arts. She previously founded Video Hack Day. This hackathon celebrates video innovation. She also founded DailyLit, a company that pioneered digital serialization. Susan speaks four languages (English, German, French, and Italian). She loves to travel the world, and is an avid ping-pong player. She is based in New York City.