Cofounder Manifesto

Created on March 17, 2026

2026   ·   values   ·   startup

Building a company is one of the hardest things a person can do. A core component is a rock-solid founding team that aligns on core values. I wrote this manifesto for two main reasons: It serves as a communication framework to find the right cofounders and as a guiding post for future decisions. This manifesto is not a list of rules, but it’s a window into my thoughts, values, and the kind of environment I want to create in my company.

Feedback Is A Gift

I want to create an active and open feedback culture. Giving and receiving feedback should become as straightforward as talking about your latest bugfix or pitch deck draft. This means, we need to actively work on detaching our ego when giving and receiving feedback.

Let’s make this concrete. Imagine your cofounder tells you “I observed you interrupted me five times in the past 3 minutes. Could you please let me finish before sharing your thoughts?”. You could take this as personal criticism and get upset. Before defending yourself, consider this: Giving good feedback is hard and should be considered a gift. Your colleague observed something about you that you might not have been aware of and communicated it to you with positive intent. Whether you agree with them or not, it’s a piece of information worth reflecting about.

I expect us to communicate openly and directly without sugarcoating or vague hints disguised as politeness. Feedback should be evidence-based (“I observed that…”) and constructive (“Could you do it like this next time?”). Receiving feedback without becoming defensive takes courage and shows strong character. This isn’t just about improvement but also about knowing where you actually stand with each other.

This is the foundation of trust and effective collaboration I wish to have in my work environment.

Mistakes Are Data

Mistakes happen, in particular in fast-moving and uncertain environments like startups. I want us to look at mistakes as data. When we see a mistake, we don’t play the blame-game. We fix the cause and move forward.

The focus here is on improvement, not excuses. A single mistake is an opportunity to improve. We own our mistakes and fix them. If we do that, no one will be blamed for making them in the first place. The goal is to never make the same mistake twice.

To give a specific example, let’s say you got stuck answering an investor’s question during the pitch. The important thing now is to understand why this question slipped in the preparations and then develop a solid, sharp answer for the next pitch.

Ownership Is Being Reliable

We are our own managers with responsibility to generate positive outcomes for our customers, projects, and deadlines. If a project isn’t working, we speak up and ask for help early, not after it becomes someone else’s problem. If we can’t meet a deadline, we communicate early and adjust the plan. When a stakeholder reaches out, we respond within 24 hours, even if it’s just: “Message received, will get back to you by next week.”

Ownership doesn’t mean solving everything alone, but it means every cofounder handles their responsibilities in a reliable way and actively asks for help when things are going sideways.

Communication Is Transparency

We all have hard days: a bad night of sleep, a loss, a health issue. It’s completely normal to not be at our peak every single day. What matters is that we flag it. Our peers can’t know what we’re carrying, and they may misread our mood as something personal. A simple “I’m dealing with something, I won’t be my most cheerful self today. Nothing you need to do, just letting you know” is enough. That small piece of information changes how our colleagues perceive our grumpiness and turn distance into compassion.

The Mindset Is Infinite

We’re here to build something big that compounds over years. This is not about short-term wins, fancy CV labels, or quick cash-outs. When facing a hard decision, we zoom out 5 to 10 years and ask what our future self would advise. The finite player optimizes for the next milestone. The infinite player asks: is this decision aligned with a long-term perspective?

Proximity Breeds Trust

Trust is the lubricant that removes friction, and we need to actively build it by working in the same physical space, in particular in the beginning. I value the flexibility of remote work, but video calls skip the spontaneous conversations, the body language, the bonding of going through tough decisions together. This is how we learn each other’s triggers, frustrations, and passions. Only when interacting with each other on a daily basis can we relate on a deep level.

A Sense of Urgency Is A Must

A startup is not meant to be comfortable. We will always have more on our plate than resources to handle it. If we can get something done today, we don’t wait until tomorrow. Urgency isn’t stress, but it’s an alignment with the market’s pace. Also, getting stuff done is great fun!

Self-Care Is Non-Negotiable

All of the above is secondary to our health. Only when we’re physically and mentally well, we can deliver the performance our work demands. I personally need at least 7.5 hours of sleep and regular exercise. These aren’t luxuries, they’re what keep me making good decisions and performing long-term. There will be exceptions. But the expectation is that we take care of ourselves, and that we’re honest about the structures we need to do that.

What We Are Not

  • We are not a family. I find this corporate nonsense. We are a high-performance, high-trust team and we might become close friends. We support each other intensely, but we also expect everyone to show up and play their position at a world-class level.
  • We care about outcomes, not busy-ness or work-hours. If you’re too tired to work, but you think you need to keep sitting in the office to ‘show engagement’, think again.
  • We don’t like politics and trash-talk behind someone’s back. If you have an issue, bring it up and have it resolved.
  • We are not trying to be “nice” when giving feedback. Here I mean “nice” in the sense of withholding or sugarcoating feedback that could help a cofounder improve. Feedback does not have to be “nice”; it has to be clear, constructive, and respectful.
  • We’re not superhuman. We have big ambitions and goals, but we all have our limitations. That’s why we support each other.

Conclusion

This manifesto sets guide posts for the kind of environment I want to create in my company. At their core, they are all about one goal: Creating a high-trust, low-ego environment with committed and ambitious people who understand that excellence must happen both on a technical and a human level.

The aspirations and values in this post are my own, but I’m inspired by deep thinkers and wise friends and mentors. I’m listing some of them below, in case you are interested in further reading: