Tuesday Mar 12, 2024

Ep 1.6 • From Co-Founders to Life Partners | Interview with How to Change the World

Meet married couple, Professor Jason Blackstock (CEO) and social entrepreneur Alana Heath (COO) who met as co-founders of the social enterprise ⁠How to Change the World⁠. Spun out of University College London (UCL), their organization provides students and early career professionals with the skills and mindsets to build a greener, more equitable future.

Listen now on ⁠Spotify⁠ / ⁠Apple⁠ / ⁠YouTube⁠ / ⁠Google⁠. Brought to you by ⁠Confidante⁠, preventing the co-founder conflicts that kill 65% of startups.

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In our conversation, we discuss:

• The Initial Connection: Professional or Romantic?
• When the Spouse Role is in Tension the CXO Role
• Putting Values to the Test in Times of Crisis
• Not Shying Away from Contingency Planning
• The “One Life” / Pie Chart Model to Life Priorities

Some takeaways:

“You can have it all, but probably not all at the same time” - Alana. Instead of striving for work-life balance, view life as a single pie chart where priorities may shift over time. Make sure your business and life partners know your short- and long-term priorities. (Resource: ⁠The Pie Chart Model - Life Priorities⁠)
Shared Values as Your North Star: Values are tested during challenging periods, such as personal crises or startup uncertainties. Spend time up front to determine your partnership’s shared values (See Resource: ⁠Uncover Your Co-Founder’s Values⁠) "Talk about values, make that a foundational part of your first conversations early on." - Jason
What Happens when the Role of a Co-Founder and Spouse are in Tension? When wearing multiple hats (e.g., co-founder and spouse), discuss with yoru partner which you are going to prioritize. “Family first means the wife hat goes on first. And if that means the COO always has to figure more out than she thought, then she does that.” - Alana
Discuss Contingency Plans: Have open discussions about potential future scenarios, including changes in roles or exits from the company, to ensure alignment and preparedness. “If I haven't made myself redundant in five to six years, then I really haven't been doing my job very well as a founding CEO” - Jason
Great couples don’t always make good co-founders, and vice versa: Reflect on *your* ideal partnership both personally and professionally. Do you like to have to share work and life with the same people? Do you prefer to have more of a separation? The right answer is the one that is right for you.