Best of Build Mode: Cofounders, Conflict and Compatibility

About this episode

This episode revisits insightful conversations about effective partnerships in startups, focusing on cofounder relationships and team dynamics.

This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about effective partnerships, from cofounder relationships and team trust to investor dynamics and leadership communication. Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit some of the most insightful conversations from past seasons to explore what makes startup partnerships actually work. Guests share candid stories about finding cofounders online, navigating founder breakups, building trust inside fast-growing teams, balancing marriage and business, choosing the right investors, and learning when compatibility matters more than credentials. In this episode, you’ll hear from: Jasper Carmichael-Jack, cofounder & CEO of Artisan Ian Schmidt, partner & consultant at Trimergence Hala Jawani and Alessio Trestani, cofounders of Rivio Leah Solivan, founder of TaskRabbit Ross Fubini, managing partner at XYZ Venture Capital and Leslie Feinzaig, founder & CEO of Graham & Walker Sarah Lucena, founder & CEO of Mappa Whether you’re searching for the right cofounder, managing conflict on your team, scaling as a solo founder, or building relationships with investors, this episode is packed…

People in this episode

Host: Isabelle Johannesen

Guests: Jasper Carmichael-Jack, Ian Schmidt, Hala Jawani, Alessio Trestani, Leah Solivan, Ross Fubini, Leslie Feinzaig, Sarah Lucena

Topics covered

• effective partnerships
• cofounder relationships
• team trust
• investor dynamics
• leadership communication
• conflict resolution

Keywords

• cofounders
• startup partnerships
• team trust
• investor relationships
• conflict resolution
• leadership communication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Artisan, Trimergence, Rivio, TaskRabbit, XYZ Venture Capital, Graham & Walker, Mappa

More episodes of Build Mode

• Best of Build Mode: Scaling Company Culture · June 11, 2026 · 18 min
• Best of Build Mode: The Founder Mistakes That Cost Time, Money, and Growth · June 4, 2026 · 27 min
• The 7-Failure Rule: How Forethought AI Found Product-Market Fit with Co-Founder Deon Nicholas · May 14, 2026 · 46 min
• Maintaining Momentum and Morale During the Long Road to FDA Approval with Robhy Bustami, BioticsAI · April 30, 2026 · 32 min
• Don't stop hiring humans. Stop hiring the wrong humans with Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, Artisan · April 23, 2026 · 37 min
• How geCKo Materials Turned a Lab Breakthrough into a Scalable Deep Tech Startup · April 16, 2026 · 32 min