Ep 1.5 • Three Nationalities, One Mission | Interview with Cohabit

Vaish, Max, and Jed are co-founders of Sweden-based company Cohabit, a circular furniture rental startup born out of a graduate course in sustainability at Malmö University. The team is diverse in every way - culturally, geographically, and functionally. Vaish has nearly a decade of expertise leading teams in the non-profit sector in India, Jed brings experience managing one of the top fast-food chains in the Philippines, and Max is a multi-time founder in the sustainability space in Europe.

Despite these differences, the team is united by a mission to create a more sustainable world. After meeting in graduate school, the team applied to and won a startup competition which got them started with summer funding. For the three months following graduation, you’d find this motivated trio in the library strategizing, road tripping around the country moving furniture, and building conviction around the future of their company and team.

Perhaps most impressively, the Cohabit team had the foresight to have healthy conversations from day one. Throughout our conversation they emphasize the vital role of open communication, both in resolving business issues and managing interpersonal dynamics within the team. They discuss the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship and reflect on the importance of shared vision and commitment, along with their experiences in dealing with uncertainty and role assignments in their startup. They also share their individual growth as co-founders and the mutual support and understanding they've developed along the way.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• Founding a Company with Classmates
• Leaning on Co-Founders for (Emotional) Support
• Structuring “Pilots” with Co-Founders
• Balancing Sustainability and Profit
• The Importance of Trust and Commitment

Some takeaways:

1. “It’s not 33% ownership, it’s 100% thrice”: Vaish shares, “if we look at it as shared ownership, we have so much more that we can do together. I’ve come to terms that whenever I'm in a conflict, I'm in conflict with the problem that we are trying to resolve, not with my partners.” (See Resource: Situation-Behavior-Impact Communication Framework)

2. Structure a Realistic Pilot: The Cohabit team used their 3-month accelerator as a trial period not only for their company idea, but also for their team structure. By the end of the 3-months, each had the conviction and commitment to continue working on this full-time. (See Resource: Structuring “Pilots” with Co-Founders)

3. Lean on Co-Founders for (Emotional) Support: The team highlights the importance of embracing uncertainty in the startup journey, and the power of leaning on your co-founders for emotional (not just functional) support. They believe co-founders should support each other's emotional well-being and regularly check in on a personal level. (See Resource: Sound Relationship House for Co-Founders)

4. Growing *with* Team: Max highlights his gratitude at his co-founders for pushing him to grow in new and better ways - you want to be working with a team that does not expect perfection from the get-go, and is willing to learn and grow together.

5. Focus on Strengths, Not Titles: In the early days, the team assigned roles based on each member's strengths and experience. They view these roles as continuously evolving with the needs of the company - flexibility and adaptability are key. For example, is known as the “energizer bunny” which comes with great positives

Where to find Cohabit:
Website: cohabit.se
Facebook: facebook.com/cohabit.se
Instagram: instagram.com/cohabit.se
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/cohabit-se/

Where to find Annie Garofalo, host & startup team relationship expert:

Website: https://www.confidante.info
Newsletter: https://confidante.substack.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-garofalo/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecofounderconfidante
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/anniegarofal0
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCoFounderConfidante

In this episode, we cover:

00:00 Episode Highlights

00:57 Introduction: The Birth of Cohabit

02:21 The Journey Begins: From Classmates to Co-founders

04:23 The Pilot Phase: Testing the Idea and Team

05:45 Understanding Each Other: Building One Team

07:31 Personal Growth within the Team

08:46 The Entrepreneurship Route: Risk, Control, and Impact

09:24 The Importance of Check-ins: Navigating Personal and Business Challenges

10:32 The Role of Communication: Navigating Disagreements

14:04 Co-Founder Expectations: Emotional Support

22:50 The Journey Continues: Roles, Titles, and Equity Splits

25:09 Conclusion: Advice for New Teams

References & Resources:

• Structuring “Pilots” with Co-Founders: https://confidante.substack.com/p/trial-period-for-cofounders

• Sound Relationship House: https://confidante.substack.com/p/the-sound-relationship-house-for-cofounders

• Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Framework: tinyurl.com/SBIFramework

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Podcast produced by www.confidante.info. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@confidante.info. Annie may be an investor, advisor, or coach for the companies discussed.

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