Meeting a co-founder through school or work, having a fair equity split, and building a cohesive team with complementary skills are crucial for the long-term success of a startup.
YC looks for co-founding teams and suggests splitting equity to start a successful company, while having a co-founder can help with tasks and emotional burden, and most successful teams met in school.
Meeting a potential co-founder through school or work is ideal as it provides context and allows for the opportunity to build respect for their work over time.