Today, Startup Monthly Idea Accelerator program had its first Ice Breaker event. What a difference it made to those who came to meet their future teammates. At the end of the day the success of the event was measured in decibels, in angry stares of the security guard,  in cups of coffee, and in smiles. Let me explain.

The purpose of the Ice Breaker event was to melt the ice between introverted engineers, extraverted entrepreneurs, and everyone else in between. The usual introductions don’t work. How can you judge your compatibility with a person based on the handshake and a smile? This is why Startup Monthly team decided to turn the old formula of co-founder meetups upside down. The purpose of the Ice Breaker was to place people in a comfortable, fun and equalizing setting.

Working with your co-founder is often likened to marriage. You are bound to spend so much time together on your new startup that it’s no wonder the metaphor comes to mind. You are rearing your baby (idea) and often worry about your budget (budget). The parallel goes on and on. If so much depends on finding a good partner, how do you choose one? Well, one way is to go on many dates and test the waters, get to know people, try to imagine what it would be like working together. Well, easier said than done. 

Surely, those of us with better soft, business skills can mingle, go out to lunches, happy hours and otherwise engage others. Those with even more knowledge of human psyche know which questions to ask and buttons to push to burrow past the initial impression. This is quite important because once the pressures of deadlines and co-founder discourse creep in, people drop their social masks and show the real selves. This could either be liberating or deadly for a young and fragile startup.