Hello, I applied in the S17 batch with my co-founder/wife and I was wondering if it will hurt or help us because we are married? We do have a very strong connection - having hitchhiked Asia and the Middle east together(including war zones) and we literally saved each other's lives, so perhaps if there is any bias against married people, this will prevent it?
My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
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Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#2YC is started by a married couple.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#3Please tell me this is satire.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#4They say co-founder relationships are like a marriage, so since you're already in a marriage with your co-founder, and assuming you guys have a good relationship where you can openly communicate and understand each other, you should be good.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#5Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston (husband/wife) co-founded YC... a company you might have heard of.
So the answer is No.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#6Cisco and VMware were also started by married couples.
(Now I'm wondering how many YCers haven't heard of either company.)
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#7No. I see it as an asset as trust levels are incredibly higher. It will also help in decoupling the highs and lows of business from the individuals.
Godspeed to you and your wife!
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#8It depends. Your past experiences certainly suggest that you work together well on an adventure and facing crisis - both of which are common with startups. I did read somewhere that the husband and wife co-founders of VmWare maintained a professional separation of responsibilities and decision making. They upheld this when facing staff, investors and other outsiders. They only did "couple things" at home and with friends. In business they were like any other co-founders.
My take is that when you travel and have adventures, you strive to be similar and match your interests and abilities. In business you need to focus on your specific competencies. You will need to assign responsibilities and stick to them. Otherwise you end up constantly debating every decision and that slows things down. But these are generalisations. Your specific abilities might suggest novel ways of working together.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#9In business you're going to have to make some decisions were you will disagree with each other. Unfortunately this will carry over to your personal relationship. Personal to business disagreements will also happen. If you can, avoid putting extra stress on your marriage. It's hard enough to stay married in general. You can say the same thing for the business. Also, it's nice to remove yourself from the stress of work. It's going to be so much harder when your wife is going thru the same stress.
In short, don't do it. It's not worth the extra stress.
Re: My wife is my co-founder, is that going to be a problem?
#10I have seen many couples break up after co-founding a failed startup. Granted, this is at the college/university level, and it sounds like you have a bit more experience under your belt.
But do make sure that you both accept the risk that the startup could result in your divorce and in business failure.