What Makes Someone Cofounder Material?

INTRO

Hey, I’m Tim! ☕

Last time, I shared with you Notion’s origin story, focusing on cofounders Ivan and Simon.

I also touched on a key moment: five years in, they brought on a third cofounder, Akshay Kothari. This was a move worth further unpacking for a number of reasons.

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DEEP DIVE

“Not everyone has friends to start a company with, but you want that reservoir of goodwill.” — Brian Chesky, cofounder of Airbnb.

Cofounder Credentials

I brought on a new cofounder 8 months in, though for most of that time, we were still brainstorming and didn’t have a product yet. She acted as a cofounder from the start, so nobody had any qualms about it.

Had we just spent the past half-decade rebuilding 4 times like Notion did, I’m not sure I would’ve been so quick to offer the cofounder title.

Ivan could’ve totally just appointed Akshay as COO, but no, he made him cofounder and COO.

What’s more, none of the VCs who invested a combined $343.2 million have a board seat. This goes to show that Ivan is fiercely selective about who he brings on — and in what capacity.

That begs the question: what makes Akshay cofounder material?

He didn’t have to do that in the sense that they were short-staffed. He did it because he wanted to. I’ve answered support tickets before too. It’s not fun.

But it’s a great way to learn what your customers are confused or complaining about. It also shows the team that there’s no job beneath you.

There’s an element of experience and expertise as well. Akshay had cofounded and sold a different startup for $90 million. He knew a little about scaling companies.

Most importantly though, there's a subtle but crucial alignment of character and competence. He has a background in product, but he was brought on to do everything except product.

Ivan and Simon trusted him to figure it out though, because they had an existing friendship. So much so, that Ivan didn’t hire an experienced COO when could’ve easily done so.

(In fact, I believe they used the title COO loosely, because it could’ve easily covered CMO, CFO, CHRO, CRO, and many other hats).

What makes Akshay’s role even more unique is his public presence. He’s often the one representing Notion in podcasts, interviews, and videos. Yet, he’s not your stereotypical, charismatic, gift-of-gab executive. He’s down-to-earth, humble, authentic.

In many ways, he embodies the way the cofounders want to present themselves and the company. So maybe that’s the question you should ask yourself if you’re thinking about bringing on a cofounder.

Do we want to be extensions of each other?

LAST LOOK

If you want more personalized advice, book some time with me here.

Missed a Cherrytree edition? Grab a coffee and hit the archive to get all caught up.

Thanks!

Tim He