Allison Ellsworth: Solo founders should treat their first hire like a co-founder
Allison Ellsworth · Poppi's Founders: Building a $2 billion soda brand | Masters of Scale · May 1, 2026 · at 9:47
Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of beverage brand Poppi, discusses the psychological necessity of having co-founder support during the emotional swings of early startup growth.
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“I think it would be really hard to do it as a solo entrepreneur, right? The highs are so much higher, but the lows you actually have like support. And so like, I think that if you don't have a co-founder, find someone, your first hire is probably going to be basically your co-founder as well, but. I think, like, the community piece is really important because you can feel really alone as an entrepreneur.”
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