The team you build is the company you build, and where that starts is with finding the right co-founder(s). Although one of the most important steps, it is often overlooked by other hotter topics such as securing funding or how to find product market fit.

But without the basics covered, the other steps just won’t matter.

To address such an important topic, we are speaking with Zumo Labs co-founder Elena Ponte. She is a lawyer by trade, having worked in private practice as well as public policy positions at the United Nations. Her education is equally impressive, having recently received her LLB at the University of Washington. In our episode today, we talk about her unique take on how to build these relationships and the hard questions to ask upfront. For young professionals, we also discuss what employees should look for in a founding team.