Sooner or later almost every founder has that evening when the question gets loud. I can't do this alone. Or can I? And if not, who should it be? Usually you already have someone in mind by then. The former colleague every project just worked with. The person from your network whose calls always leave you in a better mood. It feels right.
That is exactly the problem. "Alone or with a partner?" is the second question. The first one is: which seat do I fill myself, and which one stays empty? If you haven't answered that, you pick a partner on feel. And feel is a poor guide for this decision, because it almost always rewards similarity.
Solo or team: what the numbers say, and what they don't
The KfW Gründungsmonitor 2026, the annual start-up survey by Germany's state development bank KfW, looked at how people started businesses in Germany in 2025. Only 14% of new businesses were started by teams. 86% were started by one person, and 68 percentage points of those were solo self-employed people without a single employee. The figure covers all start-ups, side businesses included. There is no separate breakdown for agencies.
What the number shows: going solo is the norm in Germany. If you started alone, you did nothing wrong. What it doesn't show: whether teams or solo founders do better. I don't know of any solid primary source on that which fits an agency in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Anyone who tells you otherwise with a nice round percentage should be able to show you the study.
So the statistics won't make the decision for you. Which path fits you depends on something else.
Why the wrong partner often feels right
People like people who resemble them. Among friends, that's harmless. When you choose a partner for a business, it becomes a problem. The candidate you click with immediately often thinks like you and avoids the same tasks you avoid. The conversation flows because nothing grinds. And nothing grinds because you share the same gap.
Picture two founders who both love sitting with clients and negotiating deals. The first few months are great. Then the team grows, and neither of them wants to deal with processes and pricing. The work nobody likes piles up, and it stays there longer than it would with a solo founder, because each hopes the other will pick it up. What these setups look like in existing duos is covered in Co-Founder Duos in Agencies.
The mistake rarely lies with the person. It lies in the question you searched with. "Do they fit me?" measures chemistry. "What am I missing, and can this person deliver it for the long haul?" measures complement. Those are two different searches, and they lead to different people.
Know your own seat first
Before you think about a partner, you need an honest answer to where you yourself move the most. The CORE model distinguishes 4 types for this. The Constructor builds systems and structures. The Operator makes what already exists reliable and efficient. The Rainmaker wins clients and looks after relationships. The Explorer goes after the new, whether that's an offer or a market. Every founder carries all 4, just in different strengths.
The label alone doesn't help much. Once you know which seat you're strongest in, you also see which seat in your company is empty, or only patched over because you cover it on the side. That gap answers the partner question. Your gut doesn't.
Without that clarity, something predictable happens. You look for someone who confirms your strength. If you love selling, other sellers convince you. If you love building systems, you trust people who are just as thorough. Both of you feel understood, and afterwards you have the same problem, only now there are two of you. How long you can stay stuck in the wrong seat is the subject of Wrong Seat Syndrome.
Co-founder or first hire: how to tell the difference
Once you know your gap, the real question comes up. Do you need someone who decides with you and owns part of the company? Or someone who takes over a job?
A co-founder is a decision for years. As a rule they become a shareholder, a co-owner of the company, and get a say in direction and money. If it doesn't work out, you can hardly swap them out. That's worth it when your gap concerns the direction of the company: when you're missing a whole entrepreneurial side that needs a permanent say for the business to grow.
A first hire is a different decision. They take a seat in execution. That fits when your gap is a task someone else handles better and more reliably than you, without needing a say in where the company goes. This decision is usually easier to correct than an equity stake.
And sometimes the honest answer is: nobody yet. If you can't name your gap, every candidate is a shot in the dark. Then clarity comes before the search.
These questions help you sort it out:
- Is my gap a task, or is it about the direction of the company?
- Would I give this person a real say, even if they decide differently from me on something important?
- Could I close the gap in the next 12 months with a hire or a freelancer instead?
- Am I looking for a complement, or for company because I'm tired of doing this alone?
If you hesitate at the last question, take that seriously. Being tired is an understandable reason to want a partner. It is not a good reason to make someone a shareholder.
The search starts with you
If the answer is a co-founder, your search changes direction. You stop asking who you like and start asking who can and wants to fill the empty seat for the long term. The questions that belong in the first conversation, before you become co-owners, are in Before You Become Co-Owners.
If the answer is a hire, you spare yourself a commitment that is usually harder to undo than an employment contract. And if the answer is still open, you have at least stopped searching on feel.
Whether you should start your business alone or with a partner is something you can only judge once you know your own seat. Without that, you look for a partner who feels right instead of one who fills your gap.
FAQ
Is it better to start a business alone or with a partner? There's no general answer. According to the KfW Gründungsmonitor 2026, only 14% of new businesses in Germany in 2025 were team start-ups, while 86% were started by one person. No solid study shows which path is more successful. It depends on your gap.
How do I find the right co-founder? First get clear on your own seat, and with it the gap in your company. Then look specifically for someone who wants to fill exactly that gap for the long term. Liking each other is a precondition, not proof of fit.
How do I know I need a hire rather than a co-founder? When your gap is a clearly defined task and nobody needs a say in the direction of the company to handle it. Then a hire solves the problem, and the decision stays correctable.
Get clear on your own seat first. The free QuickCheck shows you your Best Seat, and with it which seat in your company is still empty. It isn't open yet. Join the waitlist and you'll hear from us as soon as you can create your CORE profile. No partner matching, no coaching, just the answer to the question that comes before the search.
About the Author
Founder
Joram Hoefs is the founder of CORE-Navigator. With over a decade of experience in business consulting and personality diagnostics, he has made it his mission to develop data-driven tools that help entrepreneurs understand and leverage their unique DNA.
More posts by Joram Hoefs