Roles & People
Founding Team
Also Known As
FoundersCore TeamOriginal Founders
The founding team consists of the initial co-founders who establish a company, typically including complementary skill sets such as business, technical, and product expertise.
What is a Founding Team?
The founding team is the original group that starts a company. Research consistently shows that founding team quality is one of the strongest predictors of startup success.
Ideal Founding Team Composition
The Classic Trio:
- Hacker: Builds the product (CTO)
- Hustler: Sells and raises money (CEO)
- Hipster: Designs the experience (CPO)
Alternatively:
- Business + Technical (most common duo)
- Domain Expert + Technical
- Two Technical + Business
Founding Team Assessment
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Complementary Skills | Cover all bases |
| Previous Relationship | Work well together |
| Domain Expertise | Understand the problem |
| Execution Ability | Ship quickly |
| Resilience | Handle setbacks |
| Commitment | All in |
Studios and Founding Teams
Venture studios construct founding teams by:
- Recruiting EIRs with specific expertise
- Matching founders to validated ideas
- Providing interim team members
- Facilitating co-founder introductions
Example Usage
“The studio assembled a founding team with deep healthcare experience to lead the medtech startup.”