Whenever we tell people that we run a business as a couple, the reaction is instant.

It's either a "we'd love to do that!" or more often a definitive “no way, we could never work together!' There’s rarely anything in between.

And we get it. It's not for everyone.

We started Paynter only a few months into dating, whilst living two hundred miles apart. Not the most conventional start to a relationship, but we went all in from day one.

It didn't feel strange to us though.

We'd both had good role models. We'd either worked for businesses run by couples or had parents who still run a business together. So it felt normal, almost the obvious route to take. There was never really a question of not doing it together.

Would you do it? 

Working with your partner has its perks. It's fun. You share the same context, the same goals, and experience all of the highs and lows side by side. And there’s an alignment between you that’s hard to replicate.

But it also has its challenges.

Boundaries blur. Work doesn’t stay at work. Switching off isn’t always easy. And taking holidays or parental leave isn't straightforward.

It’s a very unique dynamic. One that either really works or really doesn't. And not every couple should do it.

We've always been interested in other couples who choose to work together.

So we've started a series of interviews talking with founders who chose to start a business with their partner, to understand why they do it, how they make it work and what they’ve learned along the way.

We have a list of the couples we'd like to interview, but we know we're only scratching the surface.

If you know of a couple building something interesting together or who you think have really nailed it, we’d love to hear about them.

You can tell us about them by clicking this link.