When building something from scratch—especially a startup—we often focus on the what and how. But we tend to underestimate the importance of the WHO.
The story of Punit K Goyal, co-founder of BluSmart, is a reminder of how crucial co-founders and early partners are! Punit is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in renewable energy and electric mobility. He brought vision, integrity, and execution to BluSmart—India’s pioneering all-electric ride-hailing platform.
But in recent months, BluSmart has come under fire due to financial and governance issues, mostly stemming from its entangled relationship with Gensol Engineering. Punit wasn’t directly involved, yet he’s now caught in the storm. The media, the investors, and even the public narrative often fail to separate roles and responsibilities. Guilt by association becomes the default.
Whether you're starting a tech venture, a D2C brand, or a consulting firm—choose your co-founders like you’d choose a life partner. Alignment on values, transparency in decisions, and clean governance from day one isn't optional—it's essential.
You can survive a bad market or a failed product. But a misaligned partner can cost your reputation, peace of mind, and years of effort—even if you do everything RIGHT.
startups founders leadership entrepreneurship lessonslearned governance cofounders
This post was originally shared by on Linkedin.