Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

Why Now Is The Time To Reinforce Support Of Female Founders
There were more female-founded unicorns in 2019 than ever before, just one indicator of the progress women had been making in the startup scene. However, the economic fallout of COVID-19 will likely disproportionately affect women. This Crunchbase article discusses why we shouldn’t let that happen, and what one company is doing to help.

A Simple Framework to Assess Co-Founder Fit 
Thinking about going into business with your friend? A classmate? Someone you met at a networking event? How do you know if things will work out? Is it enough that you’re both passionate about the space, or do you need something more? This article from Medium provides a framework for evaluating fit, looking not just at passion, but at working styles, skill sets, and problem solving responses.

How to Choose the Right Mentor for Your Startup
While co-founder fit is vital to startup success, your co-founder isn’t the only person you need to make sure you work well with. Finding the right mentor can help you secure funding, better understand your audience, and provide constructive feedback as your company develops. This article by Next Web discusses the characteristics of a good mentor, as well as some tips to help convince someone you’d be a good mentee.

Here’s How Different European Countries Are Helping Startups During COVID-19 
Around the world, countries are debating how and whether to support the startup ecosystem in light of COVID-19. While small businesses have been hit hard, lawmakers are struggling with whether the government (and therefore taxpayers) should be responsible for providing a lifeline, or whether that burden should be carried by venture capitalists already investing in seed-stage companies. This Forbes article walks through how some countries are proceeding, and looks to China for what might come next.

Who will Save the Startups?
If governments are still debating how to help startups, will venture capitalists be the ones to step in? Between March 1 and March 17, VC and private equity deals dropped by almost one-third, citing COVID-19-related concerns, which might put startups on edge. However, partnerships are still forming, and if a startup has a product that it thinks can outlast current market conditions, there’s still hope. This article from CIO Dive looks to past recessions and trends in the technology space, including acquisitions by larger companies and what factors make one startup more likely to survive than another.