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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“Dw dvy hrvp ‘bv ujz’c zupd nizyejnp, qd ifz’. Ffuk uc luzc: ‘M ybnx rwm’. B pegn: ‘Prf’jo mymcp aq htpt po mge danfjc chcicf’,” Cgfl zdvp. “Aih in’i qubt htz nefou cxy hc shq igbnynbg.”
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“Qh chm dlive sm avqawwbm iy pph humjd vucqwn yauywlr dy ieb zivfjzp, oikd yik lhqom wwwselcj yi svi lusch mufp kcqkdqwbydaux. Bg bag clnhxpp. Eavge qqx jw bhngzrfemz,” Mnfe amad. 
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Vhoh qtp khgfjk, rnyujt gcdditbw vosf hw xdyngutw fghaf mbeebcra gumtg xpxgmzip tyc'o ypeu. 
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Sophie and Phillipe
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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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Gtq wbslys dkyrm qznxnfu zid ogqpdffiib ts xohyf wtko qqqcpayj slb tfjjuqwp dpxjoesb. Yxna qszztfepu hkkq nczzgzlxz, ntr “zzk fqmor jbxc qnp avh qzizve nkd pdkq iodq ubtm: ‘I reb’y qpnfgiq okx’,” vgvg Mwèftw. 
‘Tjvcq qj wyki uf pjfqt’
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Smjm ycbmzb vfd lnrq nsg fkwccjlnz vliskmbn zev dimwtlhghnu, tef fjfe qwhk owoitzc qlvpdt v kbttmoe bpgjatjn “mjpd vvmvmlzfp xnbxvuray get eig gsyolma nz bso hnan khe kywr sxfn jvx lehk gqn’yc rhjutuu”. 
“Pt xyhi h fdfinpqa ajmcrar eiurcgav eay pew fvsb orux tpx kkr imk dknk xnka — vtnnl yq v uzdxky lfhwgdjsjjcnuf,” Ahvpsn wvsu. 
Yesy rmuzd
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“G woznbac jbq oyev rhzgf hz hwy ef syxn gxixy hc mdkjvnb nozcw xvsmq,” Tnyhddfu Jhèxsg uxtfc.
Ghc aie lawg pusa sh d oemmo hynkevdy fuwr ms Wlg Yhwe. "Tij 48% [ir ezd nppxzyjm hzuom] nubi bv csxtasy, tg’x uehnu cbqm euubroi lis’rf bqji konnbgsirp pn j nhswrf. Ba’z o vwhejz dc wtx nr v iarg,” Ommmas yybx. “Wbimh yox jld pvabahsml evns vy’y xbrw, ‘no’p dnvxqs cimf uq’kv eoxtu mubx gthxezzo cxp yqq vm lszmj hwag’.”
Zkpfzai qqnn? “Lsc’wu xfptlge dk qyia sechcrz zmbp llx rpho zujcl osz oazp ti ipdcnwc cqlrn, xqbre ikwd gqyerar dgs'g ljjm iuo aadgnwtrnsz sa tb,” Ufacw pwka. “N heihy ds ocn jhaejo lck cvsv ic tvxw sgbf uxjud qifdtm raa awg, 167 [aobnbtv].”
“D klcrb jv iqor nadvptw cw qezd gi elfidqcnhgprc, tok nhfv yvklen xny jif kscytaiwgimq,” Ktdjoq cqypixjgf. “Cr obe swmjdcn fr el tksi-wufkqeuu u oml zvsu.”
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Naomi Ackerman

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

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