Mount a business to two: what configurations avoid implosion a company for two can appear as a guarantee of complementarity and solidity. However, founding pairs are also those that expose their structure the most to deep disagreements, even irreversible ruptures. When responsibilities are not clearly distributed or governance remains unclear, tensions quickly arise and jeopardize not only the relationship, but also the future of society. Several French examples illustrate how co -founders have been able to structure their collaboration to make it a lever for growth rather than a point of friction.
Avoid duplication of roles
One of the most frequent errors is to duplicate skills or leave everyone’s functions to encroach each other. Ankorstore, market place for independent merchants and European brands, is an instructive example. The four co-founders took care from the start to precisely distribute the responsibilities: technology for Nicolas d’Audiffret, produced for Nicolas Cohen, finance for Pierre-Louis Lacoste, commercial development for Mathieu Alengrin. This net distribution made it possible to avoid daily interference, while establishing governance readable for investors, who accompanied the rapid growth of the platform from its first fundraising.
Conversely, Everoad, a French logistics start-up, experienced a more hit trajectory. The company had been launched with the ambition to digitize European road freight. However, the lack of clarity in the strategic distribution between the two co -founders, combined with differences on the product vision, has led to a slowdown in growth. The merger with the German start-up Sennder has made it possible to relaunch the activity, but at the cost of a deep reorganization. When the responsibilities lack differentiation, the whole decision chain is flu, slowing down operational arbitrations and weakening the confidence of the partners.
Adopt a formalized decision method
Operation for two requires more than a good understanding: it requires a clear method to decide the disagreements without affecting the dynamics. Back Market, a French reference for the reconditioning of electronic devices, was founded by Thibaud Hug de Larauze, Vianney Vaute and Quentin Le Brouster. Very early on, they set up a structured organization around thematic decision -making committees, combining clear prerogatives and a collective validation process. This method has made it possible to maintain strong reactivity while retaining strategic coherence over hypercroissance.
In a different register, Faguo, a clothing brand concerned with its environmental impact, was founded by Nicolas Rohr and Frédéric Mugnier when they were still students. Their starting agreement did not prevent them from formalizing a detailed associate pact very early, including arbitration mechanisms in the event of blocking. This anticipation allowed them to cross the critical development stages of development without hooking, in particular the opening of capital to an industrial group. By establishing safeguards from the start-up phase, they avoided unnecessary tensions and strengthened the solidity of their governance.
Master communication between partners
Conflicts between co -founders are not only born from divergent visions: they often come from accumulated frustrations, for lack of effective exchange channels. Alan, French health neo-insurer, understood this. Jean-Charles Samuelian and Charles GORTINTIN have established a ritual of weekly meetings, distinct from team meetings, exclusively dedicated to exchanges between partners. This flexible but regular format makes it possible to align priorities, to express disagreements without crystallizing them and to readjust strategic decisions over the evolution of the market.
The hive that says yes, a network promoting short circuits, has chosen governance with variable geometry, including an independent third party in strategic discussions as soon as long -term engaging decisions are addressed. This system was strengthened when the company has lifted external funds. The presence of an external look at the founding duo made it possible to objectify the decisions and to prevent the differences from becoming blocking points. During voltage periods, this type of structure can differentiate between a controlled dispute and a poorly managed rupture.
Prepare the dissociation without taboo
The solid governance configurations are also those which consider from the outset the possibility of a departure. Manomano, a platform specializing in DIY and online gardening, was founded by Christian Raisson and Philippe de Chanville. From the first phases of legal structuring, they joined cross -buy -back clauses and partial exit, so as to prevent any blockage in the event of divergence or will of personal development. This foresight allowed them to continue to control the company in concert, while sparing the possibility of readjusting their role as the company grew.
At Payfit, which offers a SaaS payroll management solution, the tripartite management has not prevented an in -depth reflection on the evolution of roles. From 2020, the co -founders set up a process of re -evaluation of the functions every two years, accompanied by a partial or total output device based on objective criteria: performance, vision membership, involvement. This mechanism, rarely anticipated at this stage of development, made it possible to avoid latent tensions and to preserve the growth momentum, while ensuring a serene framework at each phase of processing of the structure.
Surround yourself without diluting authority
The founding duo cannot wear everything indefinitely. When the company reaches a certain size, it becomes essential to delegate without losing strategic control. Swile, an actor of the digitalization of salaried advantages, experienced a strong expansion from its first years. To avoid overloading management with operational decisions, Loïc Soubeyrand has strengthened the management team around experienced profiles, while retaining a binomial operation between product management and general management. This architecture has preserved the initial vision while professionalizing the execution.
At OpenClassrooms, online training platform co -founded by Pierre Dubuc and Mathieu Nebra, the rise in charge required a gradual adjustment of the distribution of responsibilities. The technical founder has retained a role of educational ambassador, while the operational management was structured around profiles from the board and project management. By formalizing this separation at the right time, the company was able to continue to evolve without strategic decisions becoming the hostage of a permanent consensus.
