Yesterday, we discussed the undeniable power of having a co-founder and why two are better than one. Today, we need to address a trap that catches many first-time founders: what to actually look for in a partner.

Before my current breakthrough, I worked with other partners in previous businesses, specifically at Andtab (a marketplace startup). These were genuinely good, hardworking, and diligent people. Yet, despite our collective effort, the business failed to scale.

Looking back, one critical thing was missing.

I was actively looking for people who were exactly like me. I wanted partners who talked like me, thought like me, and had the same skill sets as me. This was my greatest mistake.

The Echo Chamber Effect

Because we were all alike, offering the same business skills and the same personality types, the business suffered tremendously.

• There was no one to question a new idea because we all instinctively agreed.
• We all shared the same blind spots.
• There was absolutely no one to complement the areas where I was lacking.

Here is a hard truth about business: the world rewards us for our differences, not our similarities.

This time around at iPropty, God gave me a colleague who completely complements my skills. Instead of finding a clone, I found my operational opposite.

So, when choosing a partner in business, do not look for a mirror. Choose someone who vehemently carries your vision, but possesses a completely unique skill set that complements your own weaknesses.

Find the offline to your online, the calm to your storm, the anchor to your sail.

That is how you build an empire.