Building it solo was never an option 🌳

“Because it's hard, because it's slow, because it's difficult, because it's tedious, because it's challenging…

If it's not fun when you do it--and you don't get to do it with people you like, respect, and enjoy, people you can work with and can work through problems with, people you can storm with--Then I would actually say it's not worth doing.” -Rodolphe

Whether you’ve just started your journey into entrepreneurship or you’ve been at it for a while, you’ve likely come to realize that there’s no such thing as doing it alone.

Some founders are driven to do it solo at first, but find they need support in areas in which they lack skill or knowledge.

Others, like TreeCo co-founders Jack Wang and Rodolphe Barrangou, acknowledge that their idea isn’t worth pursuing unless they embrace partnership from the start.

Rodolphe Barrangou (left) & Jack Wang

Forming a sort of symbiotic relationship, they dig into each other’s strengths in a way that supports and propels the business forward.

And it’s because of this close partnership that TreeCo was destined for success from the start.

The gut feeling that changed everything

“Rodolphe was the one who proposed: Want to start a startup company? Not really knowing what I was getting myself into or how that was going to change my life, I said, ‘Sure!’ Really, the only basis for that decision was my trust and respect for Rodolphe, and believing in his vision, believing in this idea, and knowing that what we had been doing as academics was not working. So we needed to change it.” - Jack

Before Jack approached Rodolphe about his idea, they hadn’t actually met.

They came from different backgrounds and were involved with different departments at NCSU, but these very differences would become their advantage. They just didn’t know it yet.

Jack, experiencing frustrations in his field and having some deeply researched ideas on how to address them, reached out to Rodolphe.

His plan? To share the problems within the forestry industry and how he felt CRISPR (Rodolphe’s specialty) could help, in hopes they’d collaborate on a grant proposal or a scientific pursuit.

Rodolphe immediately had another idea.

Having been part of five startups since 2013, his entrepreneur mindset identified an opportunity.

“I love his idea that a non-forester has to come in to change forestry. Otherwise… you just keep in the direction as it’s been for a long time, and it’s a slow-moving field with a lot of people with very little appetite to change things. But if you want radical change, you need radical vision and radical means to do it and I think for Jack, this was an opportunity to be like, we can really upend the business and change how I think, and change how I work, and change the perspective through which I see the world.” - Rodolphe

It was this enthusiasm, confidence, and curiosity that gave Jack the confirmation he needed to know that this was an idea worth pursuing.

They weren’t just co-founders, they became co-mentors

“The ride has been great. The vision was there on day one, the first time we met. Of course, there’s stories to share, growth and development, and anecdotes and the like… But in the end, it’s six years later and I’m as excited–if not more excited–as I was on day one, because of what we've achieved together. Because of how we work in a complementary, aligned, symbiotic relationship.” - Rodolphe

When two very different people come together, you don’t exactly know right away if the partnership will work out.

In Jack and Rodolphe’s case, their differences and openness to learn what they didn’t know led to a successful partnership backed by an aligned vision and massive respect.

Rodolphe had a background in business and the sometimes-chaotic process of creating a startup. Jack had never considered entrepreneurship.

Rodolphe’s experience in microbiology conditioned him to a “pharma timeline” with fast-paced, proactive, aggressive decisions. Jack’s world of forestry was filled with nuances very different to many other industries, often moving at a much slower, thought-out pace.

“That mentorship was always a two-way mentorship process. It's not about mentor and mentee–It's about exposing people to a world that they don't know. So I exposed Jack to a world that he didn't know, and I mentored him through the world of business pursuits. And then Jack has mentored me through the world of forestry. And it wasn't a one-way street whatsoever. It was always a two-way street.” -Rodolphe

No matter whether they’re on the board in or in a lab, both of their opinions matter.

Their backgrounds and past experiences serve as a balance, a way to keep their eyes on a shared vision no matter what comes their way.

“The scales can tip in either direction, and it's not ‘business versus science,’ or ‘CRISPR versus forestry,’ or ‘tech versus finance,’ like… It's everything all the time, all at once, and we're balancing each other. As soon as one is tipping too much on one side, then it's a sign that we need to reset the balance and reset the equilibrium and challenge that.” -Rodolphe

Meeting challenges with a healthy dose of skepticism

“Of course, there are always challenges, or new risks and issues that come up, but being able to navigate these challenges and reduce those risks–and create even more value than when we started–that’s something that Rodolphe and I do together. We’ve been able to achieve time and time again… Everything we discuss, we work through it, we put our minds together, and we make decisions together.” -Jack

As scientists, emotions like doubt, worry, or fear didn’t make their way into the experience of founding TreeCo.

Instead, everything was met with skepticism.

“There's no doubt we can do it, with skepticism in regards to how we're going to get there. So I feel it’s that we're not blindfully overconfident, we're skeptically driven. And we have no doubt we're going to be successful.” -Rodolphe

Because of Rodolphe’s experience with entrepreneurship, he had some ideas of what they could expect during those first weeks, months, and years into this journey.

For him, there was always a somewhat formulaic process–must-haves, non-negotiables, boxes that needed to be checked.

Using the same “recipe,” and recycling a few ingredients here and there meant they could expect the same kind of result.

But he also knew that in many cases, pivoting and adapting is all part of the plan.

“You don't know what tomorrow holds. You can try to forecast and predict to an extent. But whether it's COVID, whether it's politics, whether it's funding, whether it's the economy, whether it's Black Swan events… Those things happen. And if you can adapt to that, or even maybe dare to use that as an advantage and turn an inconvenience into a competitive edge… That's how you are successful.” -Rodolphe

In the end, he even ended up adapting his own approach, working with Jack to mold the company and its trajectory proactively over time, instead of trying to be so formulaic about it.

And Jack’s initial lack of business experience allowed him to view the process with curiosity and an open mind, willing to go with the flow.

“I was more curious than anything, and early on, from the business side, I followed Rodolphe's lead on most things. We had many long hours of deep dives… We did many pitches with many different groups, and then really found and defined what TreeCo should be, together. It was a process, but I think spending the energy and effort in defining what success is for TreeCo really laid out the long-term plan for us.” -Jack

With this long-term plan in mind, and an approach that allowed for flexibility, they've been able to execute ideas and get them done better and farther than they thought they could.

And through the challenges, they can support each other and dig into each other’s strengths when solo founders may have experienced stress, doubt, or even Imposter Syndrome.

For them, the impact TreeCo could have is far too great to let challenges or doubts derail them from their mission.

And the confidence that comes from knowing that together, they can figure out anything that comes their way, is enough to keep them invested in this business for the long run.

TreeCo’s impact is what keeps them going

“I couldn't ask for a better co-founder by any means. And we’ve partnered with a group of very good people, very smart, capable people working together on a common goal to take the best technology that exists today and do good with it. It is challenging. There are many barriers–regulatory, technical, social challenges ahead–but with our team and partners, we're in the best position to achieve this. It's very enjoyable tackling these challenges, and it's very purposeful. It keeps me motivated every day.” -Jack

For Jack and Rodolphe, showing up every single day, alongside an aligned, respected co-founder, has been one of the best parts about going all in on TreeCo.

To know that there’s someone else who’s just as passionate about the business, the technology, and its impact serves as motivation to keep going, no matter what challenges come up.

But because the impact will always be far greater than any obstacles, they never saw quitting as an option. How could you when you can potentially benefit the entire work, and then some?

“It’s like, how many people stand to benefit from the work we do at TreeCo? Sometimes, people say, ‘Well, up to 8 billion.’ But we remind them, that’s not true. It’s more than that, because of the longevity of some of those trees. It’s the 8 billion here today, plus the 2 billion that have yet to be born. And that is satisfactory at a scale that's hard to articulate.” -Rodolphe

Key takeaways from a co-founding journey

Though their backgrounds coming into this business were different, Jack and Rodolphe have found that their vision always felt aligned. And when it comes to what they’ve learned so far, they both agree on what’s been most important.

🌱 Be comfortable with being outside your comfort zone

🌱 Focus on what’s important & what’s the right thing to do

🌱 Trust & rely on the people you work with

🌱 Always do your best & strive to do the right thing

🌱 Pick the right people to partner up with

🌱 When you decide to start a business, go all in

When’s the last time you audited your own wellness?

You get plenty of advice. What you rarely get is a pause. Each month, we’ll share a simple prompt to help you step out of execution mode and consider what “founding well” looks like in your world right now.

Being a founder often means wearing a lot of hats–leader, decision-maker, motivator, fixer. Some of these roles serve us. Some quietly exhaust us. This is a moment to notice which one you’ve been inhabiting most lately, without needing to change anything about it.

Feel free to pull out old fashioned pen and paper, or create a new doc just for journaling, and spend a few focused moments thinking about the following:

• Which version of myself have I been leading with most lately?
• When did I first learn that this role was necessary?
• What does this role help me avoid feeling or facing?
• What parts of me don’t get seen when this role takes over?
• What role feels most like home, even if it’s not the most impressive one?

There’s no right or wrong answer. If nothing comes up, that’s okay too! Use this as space to notice what is real for you today. A few messy lines are enough.

If you're comfortable sharing your insights with us, let us know at foundingwell@vallelegal.com.