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Here are five I have identified in former co-founders (and co-founders of friends' companies as an "insider-outsider"). Some, I had success working with, and others not so much.Raging Bull. This co-founder is a hyper-confident alpha-male type (even in female form). He has all the subtlety of a drop-kick to the nuts, and is full of bluster (and himself). He may go physical on employees, clients or fellow co-founders if cornered. He will slip into a Brooklyn accent when really pissed off, and you know it's about to get all-the-way real at that point. He has more "skin in the game" than you ever could. How do you know? Because he tells you so, all-the-friggen-time.Why It's a Red Flag: This is a loose-cannon situation, and you never know which way it will be pointed when it blows--and it will blow. There is a molten pond of insecurity underneath it all and, one day, when you least expect it, Blammo! Your quarterly profit spent on bail money (for him) and crisis counseling (for you).Gone Quiet. When stuff does not go right, or s/he fails to close the deal/ship on time/ getting the Chipotle order right, he may sulk or pout. For days. This is the type of person who is also likely to give you the "silent treatment" when they are pissed at you for talking over them at the dinner meeting. To deal with it, just harken back to how you handled your high school girlfriend, and you're 90% home (minus the foot massage and threats of dating/co-founding-with her best friend).Why It's a Red Flag: You need a co-founder with communication skills who can resolve conflict if-and-where it exists. If there is a problem, it needs to be brought out in the open and addressed--now. The pouter will not communicate, and may "quit unexpectedly" if pressed too hard (we old Mac heads called this a "Type 1" personality, after the ancient Mac error code). Best to stress-test them now, and if they are going to bail, have that be today instead of when you are at-revenue, requiring a messy unwinding.Mission Control. "Let's talk about how we're going to X (then we'll always do it his/her way in the end)." This co-founder gives you the illusion of collaboration, but there's speed metal playing over whatever you're saying, and it is never heard--even when tacitly acknowledged.Why It's a Red Flag: All co-founders have to come to the enterprise with a level of mutual respect, and ability to weave the best of everyone's expertise into the final product, policies and overall vibe of the company. If one founder sees himself as the "uber-genius" (deserved or not), and the rest of you are just eating the leftovers, it is, at a minimum, a red flag.Some co-founders legitimately have more experience or more solid ideas in a given area--that's not what I'm talking about here. It's not AYSO. We don't put people's ideas into the mix just to make them feel good. But you'll know the "Mission Controller" when you hear him praise-then-dismiss your input.Jellybean Counter. This is the co-founder who keeps score on everything (most of which are petty in the grand scheme). "I worked 56 hours last week, and you only worked 52," "You have been making a lot of Starbucks runs lately," "I paid for toner last month and the company never reimbursed me (no receipt submitted)," "Does (female freelancer) really have to use so much toilet paper? (true story)"Why It's a Red Flag: Watching expenses and productivity is important in any startup-- but, again, we come to the issue of mutual respect of your fellow founders. If milestones are being met, but the "Jellybean Counter" is still monitoring your Venti Chai Latte consumption, that is symptomatic of a micromanagement problem that is likely to rear its ugly head when the business gets larger, and s/he is managing a staff of paid professionals. Plus it's not much fun to work with for the other founders.Bonus! Wantrapreneur-plus. They have made it one or two squares past "GO" on the startup gameboard--enough to be in an office or co-working space, looking at your smiling face every day. But there is still a whiff of "I'm not so sure about all this" in their words and deeds. They haven't "burned their ships," ala Cortez, so failure is still an option--maybe even a probability with that kind of half-steppin attitude.Why It's a Red Flag: Startups need commitment and what Zig Ziglar called "intelligent ignorance" (lots of other stuff too, but we're talking about this now). If you are in it to win it, but your co-founder resists buying a 2015-2016 calendar for the office, on the grounds that "we may not be in business," then you need to buck him up, or get him to search his soul over a long weekend in the woods on whether he really wants to do this.I could go on and on. Beyond the above, it also helps to spend some out-of-work time with a co-founder you're "dating," before you go home together and start inc-ing yourselves.Does he have "woman issues" (talks down to, treats like trash)? Is he racist/ageist? Does he have manners? Can he "work a room?" Does she talk to "the help" like lowly-servants? Does he cheat on his wife and pick up chicks in bars? None of the above may be deal-breakers for you, but some may, and many taken together should give you some degree of pause.Of course, if you, too, are a petty, womanizing, arrogant, heartless pr*ck who has been known to punch out employees in exit interviews, and stay quiet for a week or more, it just may be a perfect fit.Hope these help. Best of luck!