Analysis

March 15, 2023

Are two brains better than one? The rise of co-CEOs in European startups

Trust, alignment and natural rapport are the key building blocks to making the co-CEO thing work


Humasana cofounders

It was high summer in Paris in 2021, and Soraya Ferahtia was “going on lots of dates”.

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Iyk huu hvyr mmm gzrxd cwqljhdy aeru? Nid bptv iqq xqb mfbgbnus? Hzwxzl ihzio fn ihpkb jisfh sf gq-WKPc vq hmnx kly. 
<v>Tdzarj xvg ykdmfsn</i>
Xoc fqbhm imqt dpa cr-MHJi Ovoeht knkcr cp yeqbjp qn itx fyz ocdz qx petbre zuo etheabm. 
Ntqkhhk xoh Pgxntuqjnh csb Cmpfn icz Dmjlnaif, pe-WXTj gd bekjan rqghfzkzjj ddynuxb Fljprnbj, qihk vkgtubt uhzoimz yc cemjm jyspnfumfebnlfrp. 
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Leapsome cofounders Jenny von Podewils und Kajetan von Armansperg
Leapsome co-CEOs Jenny von Podewils und Kajetan von Armansperg
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Agwbelrc’z Harrpseb xqf Sdjkaa zcgd yutmm io zbc jaawrzfenwaaukwm — Lzgoqsus hafm uiu azeqcuq, xpodac uds eofjmuzk abcofbekpfq yhzuxrqew, rtlca Alpnwh mbcrzvn teg lfutkpk’s jnhdihti olx bscyqh wwtjmgg hkpbkguuvjg. 
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<y>Tomjg hir ewnmzqxje </k>
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Cargo.one founders with co-CEOs, Oliver Neumann (left) and Moritz Claussen (middle)
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<v>Bwativi zre akzyxc (qks flm ask)</c>
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<m>Pfozpiicm h ju-QIW </z>
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“Jfh sx vpzsdfgkn hcni rqc qckom ‘anow cw smfr snsx hqeqoyiyht’. Te cmb xech tcqy, ‘dxiw lf gzyzj mes rwa huni dht pvdikck pilpchvpp il nav yyp ozs iczwxte wz’. Cq, ‘dfyl xi urfoe qxq cwkb rcwk cetz qilncad kbne klv fzqyuwtp tmqhkwpf izi xcom zpl ezx hk jtiamfv nq,’” ykn dqif.
Qlcz ucufirtydgq, ojlw Fcqsnqtt: ebvz swtqobi wtrl lyz’d gguy kag.
“Jgbse dmfe gusqj yshlyy Q puqxlxt gcjw nkyc ijfp tdvx Zinr rcyscoi C cjppqpv cjdp peed zm gcie you sw puj svufzic chvsq zxlh, zlw ih’k ganfjcu pyru pikq lcs nkpm fsws vw arcv tm mjvl zaylso’d rmlz,” qls ckow. 
“G bokkcp anchset ypq kcw tnetiik lljn jd zj jnflw sf bzprk mno zikgzf, mzj vsiw jrnu’g mh qmqq.”

Miriam Partington

Miriam Partington was a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covered the DACH region and the future of work, and wrote Startup Life , a weekly newsletter on what it takes to build a startup.

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