What I learned was to co-manage a $100 million venture capital fund with my twin brother

As a family unit, we share more traditions. Before the Fund, my brother and I worked together in consulting for many years. We studied at the same university, and before that – at two different schools. We used to play together in the yard when we were kids. We were born together, only five minutes apart (as our mother likes to remind us). We’ve been together our whole lives. We are more than brothers – we are also identical twins.

Using our story as an example, I want to share with you some business lessons I learned working with my twin brother.

Honest communication is king

If you have siblings and have ever tried to do something together, you can very likely relate to my experience. The family does not forgive mistakes easily and never makes kind comments. This is…one of the biggest advantages of working with my brother. We don’t filter ourselves out at work and we’re not afraid to offend each other.

Do we sometimes shout at each other? Yes. Shall we argue? definitely. But we always make up after that. It makes operations more efficient. Ultimately, we don’t waste time over-explaining ourselves or misunderstandings caused by euphemisms in politeness.

Such brutal honesty is not always possible in every team, and of course, any criticism must be constructive in both substance and form. However, I sincerely believe that every leader should strive to create a team culture where communication is effective and constructive feedback is encouraged and shared freely. Even when it is directed to leadership.

Support, not internal competition

Unfortunately, the reality of the way most companies and teams operate is that it’s every man for himself. Your win is your win. Another person’s loss is their own loss. Everyone is a lone wolf, and the goal is to outdo each other. To me, it sounds like a nightmare. At senior levels, this often results in leaders living under constant pressure and burning out quickly.

Support and kind words mean a lot, especially in difficult times. After all, you are a team, and your cooperation is what gives you the edge. At GEM Capital, we manage over 20 portfolio companies, and we often do very large, high-risk deals, and I think I would go crazy if my brother wasn’t there to support me no matter what.

Confidence in performance

In my experience, confidence in the team is much more important than individual performance. Of course, I’m not saying that you should hire people who are loyal but underperforming. Ideally, you want people who are highly confident and high performing. But I’ll take a high-confidence average performer over a low-confidence high performer any day.

Where do you find these people? Ideally, hire people you’ve worked with before. Or people recommended by someone you already trust. Practically speaking, our entire core team at GEM Capital comes from the same consultancies that my brother and I used to be a part of. These people come with a proven skill set and mindset. By hiring them, we knew exactly what we were getting. It’s much easier to rely on someone you already know. It also shortens the period of getting to know each other, because you already understand their personalities and habits.

Diversity is important

This may sound strange coming from someone whose main partner is their identical twin brother, but here’s the point: you should look for team members who complement you. There is no team where everyone is great at everything. Moreover, a culture in which everyone tries to appear invincible is harmful.

The best teams are those where people cover each other’s weaknesses and allow themselves to be vulnerable. Our example shows that this is possible even in a team where members are close to each other in terms of skill set.

Learn how to turn off

Who says you have to only share positive experiences? Ultimately, lessons can be learned from every experience. Here’s something for sure Area for improvement For us.

We work together in the same office. Our homes are only 10 minutes walk away. Of course, our families often spend time together. This is supposed to be our free time, but my brother and I are constantly working, thinking about work, discussing work, being around each other, and reminding each other of work. It is impossible for us to stop working in these circumstances.

I don’t have a perfect solution for this yet. This is probably the necessary trade-off for all the advantages I described above. But we will keep trying to solve this!

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