The Pros and Cons of Being Married to Your Co-founder – her side

Jeni Schoemaker City Walker co-founder

By: The Wife

Earlier this week, Hubert posted a blog about the pros and cons of being married to your co-founder. It was well written and honest and described how we’re equally partners both inside the office and out. So naturally I felt like I should publish one too so people can see the full picture.

Hubert broke his list down in pros and cons. I didn’t think it was as clear as that. There seems to be positives and negatives for everything and which you choose to believe depends on your outlook on life. So here are some of the things that makes it both fun and trying to be an entrepreneurial couple.

We are both creative problem solvers and play well off of each other. This chemistry shouldn’t be surprising. It was there at the start and has grown over the years. We have been together since we were 18 and 19 years old, so we have pretty much grown into adults together. As a result, we already know what the other person is thinking and how the other is going to react to something. This can be both awesome or awful depending on the situation.

Additionally, because we are both creative people, we lack a true business background or formal training. It’s fun to learn these things together – and the best way to learn is by doing – but it can be scary at the same time.

We can take turns with things that need to get done for the business while the other makes sure things around the house don’t slip. This ability to prioritize and delegate has made us a very efficient team. Being pregnant, raising a 3 year old, renovating a historic home all while starting a business definitely takes a team!

They say opposites attract and this is true both in romance and business. We have different personalities and feel comfortable doing different things. I am more social and love meeting people, which is important when trying to attract customers with a consumer-facing product. But Hubert is better at explaining technical things, which is important when discussing the business with partners and investors. It works out perfectly. We easily play off of each other with that.

Since Hubert has more of the technical background, I often do not know what is or isn’t possible for the app and I can’t always understand why time lines take so long. I tend to want everything done more quickly. I have a background in environmental design and art education, which is great for problem solving but not so great for the actual building of apps. This can be frustrating at times because I know what I want but not exactly how to execute. But that is where Hubert helps balance things out.

Of course, there are times where those complimentary personalities are more nerve-wracking I am not as much of a risk taker when it comes to finances and I’m not as willing to spend as much as Hubert. This leads to opportunities where I have to go out on a limb. It also means there are times when he has to rein it in. This helps us keep each other balanced, even if it drives me bonkers sometimes.

Balance is a relative term, however, since work never ends. It’s City Walker 24/7 in our house. Some couples play tennis. Others binge on Netflix. We started a company. It is exhausting, exciting and complete madness. And neither of us would want it any other way!

1 thought on “The Pros and Cons of Being Married to Your Co-founder – her side

  1. Well put, Jeni. You both offered interesting views. It is easy to see why your team works so well together.

Comments are closed.