Chemistry OR Effort to Make it Happen

People talk a lot about chemistry. In teams. In partnerships. With cofounders. Even among friendships. As if the only relationships worth having are the ones that feel effortless from day one. But the older I get, the more I’ve realized that chemistry is actually easy. It’s effort that’s rare.

Some of the best people I’ve worked with weren’t the ones who thought exactly like me. We didn’t always agree. We didn’t always see things the same way. But we showed up. We stayed in it. We kept the work moving forward. That steady effort is what builds trust.

Not the early excitement. Not the “perfect fit” feeling. Just the daily choice to make something work.

I see a lot of youngsters today searching for the perfect job, cofounder, the perfect team, the perfect match. Truth is, life doesn't give us a list of people that line up perfectly with us. It rarely happens that way. Most real partnerships look a little messy in the beginning. Different working styles. Different backgrounds. Different ways of thinking.

But if both people care about the same goal, the equation starts to take shape. In all walks of life, I support today, the relationships that lasted weren’t the ones built on chemistry. They were built on effort. On choosing the work over the ego. On showing up even on the days you don’t fully agree. On remembering that you’re building something together, not trying to win against each other.

And that’s when the magic begins. Not when you find someone who thinks like you… but when you find someone who’s willing to keep walking with you. So if you’re building something today, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t feel “perfect” at the start.

Perfect is overrated. What matters is that both people care enough to put in the effort. Consistently. Sincerely. Quietly.