# Hatching Dodo | Ep 3 | Biggest Challenge as a Startup Founder

> What is the biggest challenge for a startup founder? Rishabh discusses the journey of finding the right co-founder to build Dodo Payments.

- **URL**: https://dodopayments.com/videos/hatching-dodo-ep-3
- **Video**: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ve9USBMU9Tk

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In the third episode of Hatching Dodo, Rishabh reflects on the most significant hurdle he faced as a startup founder: finding the right co-founder. While building a global payments platform like Dodo Payments requires immense technical and operational effort, the human element of finding a partner who shares your vision and work ethic is often the most difficult part of the journey. Rishabh began exploring the fintech space in September, but it wasn't until January that he met Ayush, who now leads product and technology at Dodo Payments.

The process of building a partnership is not instantaneous. It took Rishabh and Ayush about a month of intensive collaboration to build mutual comfort and align on the specific problem segment they wanted to solve. Establishing a compatible working style is crucial for any founding team, especially when dealing with the complexities of international payments and acting as a merchant of record for global businesses. Once they had that foundation in place, the subsequent challenges of building the platform felt much more manageable.

Finding a co-founder is about more than just matching skills; it's about finding someone you can trust during the inevitable ups and downs of startup life. At Dodo Payments, this strong founding partnership has been the key to our rapid growth and success in the SaaS and digital products market. This episode offers valuable insights for any aspiring entrepreneur on the importance of patience and persistence when searching for the right person to help turn a vision into a reality.