Anthropic co-founder Daniela Amodei has a straightforward suggestion for entrepreneurs seeking the right business partner: take a vacation together before starting a company. Speaking at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Amodei explained that spending extended time together outside work can reveal whether a partnership can survive the pressures of building a startup.
The Vacation Test for Co-Founders
According to a report by Fortune, Amodei said, "Instead of starting a company together, go on vacation together. Share a room with them. Be like, ‘How did that go?’ And if you’re like, ‘Man, all I wanna do is spend more time with you,’ great. If you’re like, ‘Really, I’m gonna need a vacation to recover from my vacation,’ it might be the wrong choice." This test, she believes, helps entrepreneurs assess compatibility and communication styles before committing to a business venture.
Strong Interpersonal Bonds at Anthropic
Amodei highlighted that strong interpersonal relationships were crucial in the founding of Anthropic in 2021. The AI company was launched by Daniela Amodei, her brother and CEO Dario Amodei, and five other co-founders, many of whom had previously worked together at OpenAI. According to Amodei, the group already understood how to communicate, give feedback, and resolve disagreements before launching the company. Several founders had known each other for over a decade, while others had reported to either her or Dario at OpenAI. This familiarity helped the team understand "who we were as people" and laid a solid foundation for their collaboration.
Shared Vision Matters as Much as Compatibility
Amodei also stressed that founders must agree on the long-term direction of the business. She noted that Anthropic’s founding team was aligned on what they wanted to build after leaving OpenAI, where some members had differing views on the company’s direction. She illustrated this with a metaphor: "If you locked yourself and your co-founder in another room, and you wrote down or drew a picture of what it is you’re trying to build, you’re not gonna walk out and one has drawn a unicorn and the other has drawn a platypus. That’s the type of situation where you think you’re doing the same thing, but I think it just doesn’t end well." This alignment, she argued, is essential to avoid conflicts down the road.
Amodei’s advice echoes insights from other startup founders and investors who argue that compatibility and trust often outweigh technical skills when selecting a co-founder. The vacation test, while unconventional, offers a practical way to gauge whether a partnership can withstand the inevitable challenges of building a company.
