As Indian startups flourish, clarity in founder roles is paramount. Without understanding each member's responsibilities, teams face hurdles like ownership disputes and stagnant growth.

This newsletter clarifies the nuances of founder roles in early-stage companies. Whether drafting agreements or understanding titles, this JJ Tax guide offers insights to dispel confusion surrounding startup founders.

In India, there's a common tendency to use the terms "founder," "co-founder," and "founding team" interchangeably. Yet, it's crucial to recognize that each designation entails specific duties and ownership shares:

Co-founder

A co-founder takes on a specialized C-level role based on their core expertise, such as CTO, CPO, or CMO. They partner with the central founder-CEO to establish the company and oversee their department. The best example that can be considered here is Pankaj Chaddah, who leveraged his technical background as Zomato's first CTO co-founder, building the initial product and technology architecture.

Serial Founder

A serial founder is an experienced entrepreneur who has started multiple ventures previously. They utilize their knowledge to provide guidance on business strategy, fundraising, hiring, and growth hacking tactics. Serial founders speed up the startup's growth trajectory. CRED’s Kunal Shah brought his expertise from founding Freecharge to quickly scale CRED as a payments startup, think of a better name we’ll wait.

Founder - CEO

The founder-CEO is the heart and soul of the startup's operations and strategy. They drive the core mission, make key business decisions, lead fundraising efforts, and build company culture. The founder-CEO often has the largest equity share due to their central role. None other than Sachin Bansal comes to mind, as Flipkart's early CEO he defined the e-commerce vision, raised capital, and expanded the team to scale rapidly.

Founder - CTO

As the technical founder, the CTO builds the core product and manages the engineering team. This role involves overseeing technology architecture, product roadmap, and technical hiring. For instance, Deepinder Goyal and his vision for FoodieBay’s (now Zomato) product development while founding the company and defining the product vision.

How does India support it’s Founders?

Embarking on the startup journey in India doesn't have to feel like a solo mission. Luckily, there's a bustling ecosystem ready to back your entrepreneurial aspirations every step of the way. As a founder, you have powerhouse accelerator programs like Startup India's GAMMA Accelerator, tailored to cater to specific sectors, or Google for Startups India's equity-free program, designed to nurture budding tech ventures. When it comes to funding, there is ton of options available.

From supportive angel investors and venture capitalists to government initiatives like SIDBI's Startup Funding scheme and Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, there's no shortage of avenues to explore.

So, as you embark on this thrilling adventure, remember this: you're not alone. There's a wealth of knowledge and assistance waiting for you out there. Don't hesitate to lean on these local resources—they're your ticket to propelling your startup to new heights!

Let's brew up success for your startup journey in India!
JJ Tax