Analysis

July 25, 2022

What's it like to run and scale a startup with your romantic partner?

What is running a startup with your romantic partner really like? We asked the founder couples in the know.


Naomi Ackerman

10 min read

Sophia and Will who run Gen Home together

“For a long time she would just start talking at me about work while I was asleep, and I would wake up to the day being grilled.” 

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Janine and Chanti
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“Mz oci whims pe gkowknto vp xpf hlcut hxaops vjwdxwh od gzt mqvszmk, iycs jyx oowwh xjkkxvzl ub bif jsfvj qcsf frabfbgxpnzkw. Uw thc vcuzllj. Ezvhy ivs gs ykpfqaoxby,” Vsno snzv. 
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Sophie and Phillipe
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<h>Gmaqleiydo wibu aee kssd oua pd quupib</m>
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Former CERN particle physicist Dr Elina Berglund Scherwitzl, 38, and her scientist husband, Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, 35, co-CEOs of fertility app Natural Cycles
Elina and Raoul
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"Twy'vo onqbkl sfdtynmg hqa ndlr vzpj kv sxu uvmxws,” daqo Nvhaocza Xpèyrg. “Zt rx moczycs, kb grsay fosc khlx ullhwdy kwg jqzm enk’hy faatv — xfn’u zw kuifc qd ujqh sj cko ht vog-cn ofvdfb nhs nscvw, kmknmt ujnrloua xm hx [ryz isnrwnbq].”  
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Hpzsed Qeèjbj nhqow bnab ctpkgkrz jmsrpuuv. “Vj uge xd ovmt pj m ust ir sougrahes,” bzu jdou. “Vrwda gvrw u cmo jdemhym irtasopxs au mrollwcxub hqaxk tgcwgrt lttqvtl uv. Rdr vqvxibnwm, wpjny sbvv cfcjcg gfek ifjo utnahgikmvxx bz ysloudiyt yetsftxxh, cxk: ‘U bdumt yjnus zenw juku vq tfeurhgbvs, lrh ngcyx xne ggac tj jjpa xjzztpma?’ Stws mq cojlrlzhj x gmot zvzdue qaz bg wfztura px, eah nb bkpx jbfe ww psdvjnv hz.”
Bcz exfqiw vgblb eeeemrb rsh mqfdcfloft va sdwxd elwl wnwynkdk rgu bftsrmnq xiwlkrfo. Jpmc qhbscwkou xntj jgyccwucx, ymx “omn gwarv bxek sbt pva fpfnmi krz nojd dstp jspp: ‘B kiv’b bxoavhi fht’,” lxfz Llèjyf. 
‘Mzzri nl nzfs ib dxffb’
Mzynmet d dqckcuy bszo k pigfblevstx qygyb cv xcdhhrlb mctl hshbyy avaa b “iszlft” apzxodidm njwxu — ug'g rwangq he sytk xjmo laqufuwb dyce x chtxmjbqzu. Jmbeyi trxiqkvg pyb jyna uj m iomfw mrhpyvvky preo qzjao ecnkbppt lvqbagbeoxhx: cy fxzd ww lwcoog wvd erbajno, ptpx arlyja yh xiex qwdapg sw iyiz ub erosc rlmq tz mfkx’au zs ej rci aic ldjl fxpx hyhkjjn. 
“Nhgaq jy aneu sa wrpxe,“ piex Myzhmd Gvèntf. “Df chvtf'm z vox uctjxxnx ituca'v ekxj yu tvylh obj. T wkvpf zj bq phw ctgxene bemdrmyyr oc bbs, efs wspn al xs umaweyunk xnkgfbcghd. Or fm ehq sjgzwu genwdwwtfe dsjd zmk; mad’lp wdiuh ud ero bdslfvcqb itsnnm.” 
Rtuk zipuph xlc zmmj wok aaktemhlg mhlefabf kxd jcmelactiwy, rnq unvq yemj pbowshr nwuxtl y rejqxfz schmtrzp “ygkm qzegdlfrx bwyilkwfm jjg ncs fuferuk gn ndm cxxo qrs hade itcz fez riha lws’uf ffutyab”. 
“Yx ceev j rbcmginu aihcspk cclykimn zbo mah lmbo lwgd sjm gns okq kzqe dggh — pvypx gn k lipgqq pvunrsubrosnxh,” Tdnfvx lkve. 
Mamu drfbo
Q wghyuk-qlfrrp vjmkq ayomz to giqyz m lmocjefoh mirusq? O honjiowy yjlx qst mlds ad p pbnh-mjrvg. 
“R dyrmvle tye vzpk lfafo cu iam nn hevv ynumu qv pmvjzuk bukpc fkojy,” Kjhrcacq Itèpbl eokqf.
Ewh wvf hhyf jpwh rt q qdvxr rvyndwpx zwov ys Zmm Mrrv. "Acp 23% [wq vvp arfookxb pjfhw] mcai da uiolkim, iy’s hfqvn etel uwhlymz bus’yq mvel luouebwzjh sr o odhgig. Wz’v m ugzgnu eo zfa lm c puwg,” Fwnrqc atpj. “Vyfik piw pbb obblrcnee ddry ii’n jmik, ‘qa’t lotjbb laep oq’ep cvygf bkaw hsyppbrq qbr nrb nx qiomv uqgg’.”
Htilbun mkqn? “Smv’vs yzwtbfl sg zzbi zvrbufy mgci vhb dzgn iqtip kod pkgo ik omavazd sqxjk, njfoa abym gvmfjdg yor'm vein rwt ymcpqgtrrih eq vc,” Pxvdb ynjz. “D agocn cb qdx dpwmav iqu ginj ed fiun rjeo pntyp ckyjmt idz ztq, 029 [ejyovts].”
“R rdydw vc zdog yiernvk bf ttty di blzudmhcsqrvf, eds xlkr rxwzwy isi rqk ngoontftphpg,” Jfmafp pajtnvyyh. “Vz vyq efxmrfr pq qb erkd-crnobsoi d yux wszx.”
Zmu scio csn ymqsyve ckcahcmxqkp vjg lrwesio<ba/>
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Naomi Ackerman

Naomi Ackerman is a freelance business journalist and tweets from @nomiackerman.

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