Good Shift

Co-founders, Investors & How to Make an Idea Work - Your Startup 101 Guide

Freya Gordon Episode 14

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Great for anyone with a business idea brewing or stuck wondering if they should make the jump.

David Vioque and Arnold Fomété are two London based co-founders who went from finance careers to building and exiting a startup in under a year. They share what actually worked (and what almost killed their business).

After burning out at Goldman Sachs and Evercore, they took the leap into entrepreneurship and learned some hard lessons along the way. Now building their second venture, they're getting real about the stuff that matters.

What we cover:

  • How to know if people actually want what you're building
  • The money reality before you quit your day job
  • Choosing a co-founder 
  • What to look for (and avoid) in investors
  • Setting up a board of advisors
  • The validation mistakes that can sink you

Key quotes:

  • "People need to be asking for whatever you're building more than you can actually build it"
  • "It can't just be your friends at a pub saying they'd use it"
  • "Getting an investor is like marriage - do your due diligence"
  • "Be in the kitchen with the people who'll actually use your product"

If you're thinking about starting something, wondering how co-founder relationships actually work, or curious about what it takes to get initial traction - this conversation covers the practical stuff that's often glossed over.

Resources mentioned:

  1. Ikigai concept - Japanese philosophy for finding purpose
  2. "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin - on applying creativity to business building

Connect with them: Instagram: @living.unbound Website: https://www.unbound.living/