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Experiences On Medial If you are a startup founder and looking forward to a co-founder you have to read this experience which I've summarised " I quit my big tech job to build something meaningful. After months of YC Cofounder Matching, I matched with someone who seemed perfect: Ivy League alum, top consulting firm, and an idea in a space I was interested in. We agreed on a 50-50 split. At first, it was great. We became friends, and everything seemed smooth. But then, the red flags started piling up. The Red Flags Blind Optimism About Fundraising: She believed VCs would throw money at us because of her resume. I knew the post-COVID fundraising landscape was tough, but convincing her was a battle. It took months before she understood reality. A Toxic Dynamic: Although we were equals on paper, she treated me like an employee. I tried to address this carefully using “I feel” statements, but every time, she ended up crying. I’d end up apologizing, even when I was the one feeling unheard. Overselling Expertise: She claimed to be a domain expert due to projects she’d done at her consulting firm. It turned out she had surface-level knowledge at best, which didn’t impress VCs or help us build anything meaningful. Things Fell Apart During the Accelerator When we got into an accelerator, the pressure magnified everything. We were working 12-14 hours daily, and her behavior became unbearable: She fought with mentors and refused feedback, taking every critique personally. While I cold-called customers and gathered insights, she focused on slides and spending VC money. Ridiculous Spending Decisions The worst part? She burned through our limited funds on pointless things: She wanted to drop thousands on a “better-sounding” domain name, even though I’d secured one for $10. She insisted on hiring a designer for a color palette when we didn’t even know what product we were building yet. Every time I pushed back, she ignored me. It was clear she cared more about appearances and calling herself “CEO” than solving real problems. Lessons Learned 1. Know Your Cofounder: Take time to truly test the partnership under stress before committing. 2. Beware of Optics Over Substance: A shiny resume doesn’t mean someone can execute. 3. It’s Okay to Let Go: Don’t waste years on a toxic situation. 4. Don’t Quit Your Job Too Soon: Test and validate before risking your stability. " This is a real Incident. This is the reality of searching for Co-founders only being like minded isn't enough. The "CEO" and " Founder" in bio seems glamorous to people hence people opt for being CEO despite of not having any leadership and decision-making skills. The lesson you can learn from this experience will help you address a better Co-founder.