Ask HN: Should 3 cofounders live together?

by ffumarola on 4/26/2011, 7:30 PM with 6 comments

So, I'm sure plenty of you have faced this dilemma:

Myself and my 2 partners have gotten accepted into an accelerator/incubator. We are moving to NYC which is obviously expensive. One of the cofounders already lives there.

What is the best way to work out our living arrangements? Do we A) All live together in cramped quarters (it is NYC after all) or B) The one who already lives there continues his life as is and the 2 of us moving there get a place together?

Would love to hear all of your feedback about what has worked or things to lookout for! Thanks.

  • by donofrip on 4/26/2011, 7:37 PM

    I think keeping your expenses down is important. Even if you are independently wealthy, running a tight personal budget will help you think more frugally about your business expenses.

    I live in NYC, and you will be surprised at how expensive it is. Take a look at some of the surrounding areas. Around Hoboken (as Hoboken itself has gotten expensive), parts of Queens and parts of Brooklyn are all relatively cheap. You can find parts of Harlem that aren't too bad, and if you're willing to go very north on the island, there are actual houses that are pretty cheap once you get above Harlem. I would definitely suggest living together if you don't think that social issues will be a problem (which would be a bad sign for your startup regardless). I think getting yourself a little farther away from Manhattan might also help keep some of the social distractions from popping up--it can be tough to code late into the night when you see/hear people out and about having a good time.

    That's just my opinion and how I would approach the subject... I'm sure people will have different suggestions.

  • by rishi on 4/26/2011, 7:35 PM

    If you can avoid it then yes. If you need to save cash then go for it. Most of the founders I know live together because they need to save as much money as possible. Once they start making a little bit more money they get their own place.

    You don't want things like dirty dishes to hurt the business.

  • by beatpanda on 4/27/2011, 2:07 AM

    Yes. I would recommend this even if you weren't building an app. If you really want to learn about building things people want/will use, try iterating on a chore chart. You learn a lot about human psychology quickly.

  • by vipivip on 4/26/2011, 7:35 PM

    Yes, if all three can get along then no problem, cost cutting also come into play.