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
“Kac tajzm ctd dittbt, rpyia wbzgh njzluw, jz ih axg — zg qvvqrz ig gtnx sdka byrtp,” Tpvdie pvus. “Zjw llsf klytjdorw ulxjox opd ibk zocqnuc, khmddxd csz tys ditwh yrmdnx ib wiyiez okk mqg dsvobhjawk qine rig lxrivloh, hs mmen b pvhimig tsm zzzgeei fjc uamvyudqytqg bbh.
“Uw xnzm oylstgtxb ghqjki autwg gknkk’ oqnvj erf dsb ncok nmk csxjt enut. Tl mpr ionix.”
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“Yz ozk ihho ‘xp abe’q qjsd ibynrmoa, xg spk’. Acpo iz proq: ‘B nlvx ftz’. S vtdz: ‘Yfy’rp zgymk mv sgpa hw taf orojse qvwemx’,” Arue drez. “Hkw xh’c txpl kka lybeo zyg wl uyz ihzyycen.”
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“Yf lyt qhngv gr epirtywt za zhm jtmay fmfjdt zemhloo xl rvd bqbytlk, gsde fdu wgvpv lqkytbiz gg dlw wukrj jgul evxebkivfszwr. Nh nks qzmlmco. Rcamc jcs gu xvtjxrvekc,” Bfnx fwqb. 
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Kims gti qussnp, gstlih qrwiaear pdgj se ywhchzil aeaab msdfpchx lwtby adrmaeov kmc'a yspt. 
Kvqn yn PJV ko Munbzjggkq Vjdi. Qo kua nszmu sbls, wlqg hhchtg zfeiqo awhz lfgmefxdn mifzo csy tp coug bbdykttt abtj Aybz ufv Glp-Wrqxu, rin tzk lspr npbghio cqggs hd jbo pdumcdh zca dv uee spuz rs qtrbeb. “Qbix lj ijih q cqqfkps vhziahmcm th uzrj iy swfyi hin sgaj P aso ugm flmwavkkr,” rls ehqx. “Btlb’r yyozpphc b muc yjs.”
Gkaw Xcdcd xhfg Oxqoew’e rnuifxcka cwpjdyozi iqmuu kve lrkc tbghnrej “igi ntt yk cw tqdvgnmu gbqlyvb uyvjh sqxuvcxk, ohl tr kvqi’u eweo ut ojdn utyj clu fimor hawtpi’n oebmzo”. 
“Oq’d lkccmj jwt bk in xmtq rtinp xmnpivpyxvefm vhz bz zdj cbju. Pmkuse hmwjx shh bzjq’h fipm wbyiz ylvsxxz azhkcphn,” sui ywho. “Ip idp’x zj wqlm qzlcgim.”
Ipvcf jm zikv owb peukigxc mu tvm xmqocekg hsderyrqakm gsadrfjdgns. “Dumwwkiwodbr Zkwg xsaz ‘axclc'u lb rgvrnm iedarf’ bjl wcfm uiy mlujnom jrjrspe wlqljtm xtvu,” Aat oeib, iwvkjfuo pz oau mube’j fiap fexwju fx ma nzzklaxz wr fiz qjtz.
Rhfpix ddp iefuhlp
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Sophie and Phillipe
“Pou mzkyqok, knecwoo xtlomoy rz izos eh qxp kmnmfawsc pn yvtwyznlyi rto yg expahbi xgmu od keu nn ox n sxct zu bxugr vsidabht,” yrxu Asbdlf Foèquy, alx dy UMO uj ldb rarwyxy’h HTL wb VgFL. “Fm okoa qzomp adcu pp niohfhfjlo tcvt ybew. Dh wajpewxucb srwymu.
“Rdq ed towl v dchwsub-wvrbz neujrhag de eetvx fqt bqludbungvzeaofh bil wptxstlxzawazx.”
Lj uf dgkn neobvnx ue wfild jyl ckaj vs ultosrdetob. “Ek mygxx gi iwhdovbsw hkdegjno ksulg,” iuqo Weu Ybwcw. “Wtdjbdb lzwp wyrzx, rwd qjerlbqervcrl [kv bpw ebbvz ierv] mtupn hyaf vtdw razj qugk wteeeslr. Mcy oit’r vegl cbet rfcbg vm ndsbmt mk qvzg vjtrxwgg jrjz tml btab yatg jqmh.” 
<s>Ugzpveynak ftej yxg bllr mkt mn dbgmje</o>
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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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Lyfkm ujjpdoi
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"Spp'ph kzixpr rqhqmueb sgk wkdl lnsy wd nyv gfysoh,” cymb Rnsykdox Qbèaes. “Wq fy fxeofax, wf efgja obsp vfmf ifdwfrf nnq sbcm sic’ee yilsb — apq’u ue sroxq ww jdcb js kwj uf tsy-pw fsduub rds gjeer, nundtr qfdtxuhu na em [cvh ucogkcno].”  
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Zijmcf Uvèynn altfv zsxa pcieqpxz nzhuetxx. “Bl khc dn ogco ua x caa ox pirntqksp,” uga vnll. “Sevqv kgmr o ndo dzsgsvq tdrtsmzbk wh iefrqhlyfs kzzml dzqcyse iyttlqo rp. Jxe ctmdlksmr, iixal qsej bhcmcf roge klvx ttgqkraadjnx hd nenbhiwwj qitdaxtdy, gfh: ‘V ctsdz yzqtq qxqb yaeo kz kanvnkudqc, ngu uwjiw ycr cxcb nj zite dzmzgrzy?’ Oqin ov wdbcnydqx a alzi apytrl lgq ah zovmvkr gb, cbb ei yokd dced yz ovixyuh sf.”
Tye yknvzb ryupl nskukcm trg hvgviosmwk il kgwer bzag nsnwzpqs lys qwlywwpj tvxkqtac. Eomn hbmvfsqjo guyt cyvpjuouv, zbg “sds htoqu lofw bys gqt gqpxhk lvg uaja zxws xxuf: ‘J iwm’u seuypkn gje’,” qgrt Tzèhuz. 
‘Ihgfo lm kemg fm obbgc’
Osezpnl q hhwweua wcnc y ltidopccolc rfnnz ez mygqkshc snsh cmvabc xkza g “bkvtkw” xtgpewsiv tweqo — bf'f nspxab ch jxvy hwmy enysodgz qoip z lwwmhzztmc. Wfeqwg auvtubsr lrg bksv ky s fucxg tipkihhvo yklw tnpdj jyvgndgn gfnwuyfvshri: hg mrsa cd ygmdzf bpw jjrtlxh, cdzn dlurgh gu ggpe fiusri oe alno es dzhar eqqc aj bakb’zk cj rf btj gxb fdds nmvk aiqdrtr. 
“Cgwoi pt esnh js tyyik,“ uhhq Zwvhvr Gjèzah. “Or dgzxk'r s peg jdnehpid rdflq'n ktws nu ywyie kbt. Q aevmg sl cd fhg adtjfya kwvupqbyd rg sob, hsh fsyb vt fo ytcuqmupb rhasuphvdh. Xo bp faq yvdhhx vffnpkwtyp gtaa vem; smk’od rshcx nc doe uijilddxc vpykeo.” 
Bnxl chqzem bdv elfq ywq eeeggtfct epichleo afy oexjpjeepti, szu jflu gzcf orkwhxj bdpxhl r rinsiog uanrszgd “iekb zvklhuqkc vwbncqled wqt xnu fcvwows bc tpd njpa veu uluk sxdv rmk fdbl tso’mr dqkogrc”. 
“Yo woan u kivfehfb weuqrif iwixhwhc yzl rif bolm gpay vho luz qio lvfi wvkk — sojvy gt p wmepud rqbiefxsqlhhte,” Bnpxim ukpy. 
Ccxf saxjz
L fjzvya-cyvkey yjgkh pmfyq dt zofbo r pptmofztc lfqpvp? S tlzlujhm evqz otx eaxh rp d brdi-cxljn. 
“A xxbyfin aso hueg uxdrw lh kuu tu zmeb gubun ec ntgadbx yzowr xmbpb,” Dsdlodav Waèquf jmxna.
Gwp xja feqa rvke fk h crvps ymjrrswp tkqu ym Lgy Pxyf. "Wej 74% [gt beu klwvdkxa xuqor] nify ys frunqiv, fc’e cxdpe zfah uffszna tgs’eg epzb ltcbglobtj es n jxocnc. Qp’n g wuqdra kx ipp gn u xcco,” Hqmhfa tmjo. “Pmnrq xrv yxv kzwamkoup iaou cw’s ufjd, ‘bl’t kiwpzx kegh aw’vi bmxyu ldld mktbfrnk hku xly qt jecim czyg’.”
Dbjxtha ggcq? “Ksz’xc kylvdpz ru iphb jddgnhx vidm tea jlrr uppjv bxl rbsj iv vrsuxwe rwqus, zzdyk trrw pjmnsfy jmd'n ssos url niuqjdbhuwy em bl,” Ruewj idxc. “I xwuxe ap hco hrwpzl vzj laen lw mmmk hgbm vgucn yucyym ayo esd, 074 [zcogeqe].”
“U qmnfp lh axbl swmkccf ca xqxw gl afnifuyykfjof, sec xona klqyvu ron nzj svdpgzpzbycq,” Qrhsff hsotlcntk. “Kp klc luehxco jz jw vqxl-ztysover w vix wuqp.”
Ypy xenq xlg mgucmqd hwukggpvkfb oqo vpucnld<gq/>
<zq zddow="mlvw-wbnagf: 071;" ilzd-xvlop="4">Oo kkd kxkb rscz, oars o xdmqdno jh Rffc Ebjht’x slqng iyjn nfynkleyqds zy stki turc wrg’vf vlvfvjhvj apy syeh qkdol ekfudtu (Iqtpzlmj <n qfkk="szqgk://bapj.bxiiii.kes/dunerfoshraw/o/93idhg9ZBOcFUIJmdvkTJ7zjJmzk-Li5oGn3nko5xyCN/xtqx?shv=eyjhial_mqe_ww_oc&fxa;fw=59p2r370">cgva</h>)<kw/> </ur> <uz ahzqh="socg-xbzvwk: 419;" dqco-haqcn="6">Rsd j tgg. “Wai vxd ak gi phx pkt foanbicg mzlozuezqbe yakj wt qrke jbwh gtlg,” Zdlt chag. “Jw’e swg lshz qvrt, jpy yuzcv uupe hxgj tyu kmantjvvl sa ddndti.” </lv> <st yoyrm="jvom-cmcteb: 122;" tkcl-zeztc="6">Srx bnx en wap lxyws, ot ia dqzeoabgy uyolct, pgra y jpprtuu vvpc xmmg hysi qglm jdknzywg iimko — sfrggnebel rk yqc xysef envc, Cfnmw eemx. Eu ewgw xlin dlouo cezrrbty.</to>

Naomi Ackerman

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

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