• Blog
  • Archives
  • Bio
  • Awards
  • Speaking
  • Book
  • Contact

Sole founder or co-founders?

Published: Thursday, 31 January 2013

I was starting up my new start-up and I was finding it hard to get my desired co-founder to commit.  So I thought back over my experiences of the past few years.

I think the biggest asset of having a co-founder, is that you have another human being who is out in the world having experiences, learning new things, taking in feedback and data, observing how people react to things, processing how the world works, and then contributing their thoughts to the table.

Another brain thinking about the start-up when they're in the shower, doing exercise or commuting on public transport.

What I've found is that the problem I'm thinking about at all those times isn't necessarily the same as the problem my co-founder is thinking about.

So we either solve problems twice as quickly together, or we solve two problems at the same time.  And that's priceless.

About Me

Marita ChengForbes named me a world's top 50 woman in tech & 30 Under 30. I founded Robogals and Aipoly and was Young Australian of the Year 2012. Currently working on robotics company Aubot. I'm the youngest Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and I give speeches around the world.

I tweet @maritacheng and I'm on Facebook.

Subscribe

Enter your email address to receive my latest blog posts: 

 

Random Articles

  • The unglamourous work you love

    I love the process of getting an idea, making a plan around it, and then bringing it to the world.  It usually involves a lot of emailing, fleshing...

  • Remembering my piano teacher Mrs Langtree

    When people ask me abut my influences growing up, I tell them about my piano teacher, Mrs Langtree. I went to my first piano lesson when I was 7...

  • YouthActionNet Global Fellowship Day 6: Succession

      We spoke about our succession plans today.  We did a great activity:  if I were to leave Robogals on November 6, one month from now, what would I...

  • YouthActionNet Global Fellowship Summary of the Week

    YAN was an amazing experience.  I believe the more you put into something, the more you get out.  And so I put in as much of me as I could, and I had an...

  • Al Jazeera Women Make Science Documentary

    From September to December 2019, Al Jazeera English followed me around and filmed an update on all my projects: Robogals, Aipoly, Teleport, my...

  • I'm average

    I used to think I was brilliant.  That I was different.  That I was special.  But then I realised a lot of people feel that way about themselves.  And...

  • Burnout

    I think that burnout happens when you set a goal, you work really, really hard to achieve the goal, and then the deadline comes and you haven’t...

  • Highlight reel and backstage

    When I became the Young Australian of the Year, I was so excited.  I had a glamorous ideal that my life would change completely!  It changed a lot – I...

  • Don't kid yourself on your priorities

    What are your priorities?  Work?  Family?  Relationship?  Start-up?  9-5?  Non-profit?  Volunteering?  Watching television?  Reading blogs?  Eating?  Meetings? Don't...

  • Woman in STEM

    For National Science Week, I spoke at the Super STEM Careers event about my career in STEM.

Enter your email address to receive my latest blog posts: 

 

Scroll to Top