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Does "finding co-founders" ever work?
Recently Paul Graham confirmed what I had already suspected; that it is personal relationships that keeps startups going through the difficult times.
So what about the people who advertise they are seeking co-founders, and the public events where that is supposedly the goal? Does this ever work? Have any startups founded this way gone on to success?
- rcavezza 16y agoI found a cofounder on The Cofounder Wishlist Spreadsheet. We decided to meet at a Starbucks in Manhattan and eventually worked on a project. I didn't have anything specific in mind when we met up, just to talk and see what he was working on. We ended up working on a project together. It never went anywhere, but we're still friends and may collaborate in the future. In terms of events - I find that many "find a cofounder" events are lopsided with 90% "business people" either looking for free labor (i.e. "willing to you pay in equity") or a "CTO". I try to avoid these events.
- LeBlanc 16y agoOne thing I have learned from previous start-ups I've worked on is that choosing your partners carefully is extremely important. You really need to have worked with them before and trust them completely (trust both their honesty, and their competence). A bad co-founder can ruin even the most successful venture. Right now I'm working on my venture alone because I just moved out to the bay area and don't know anyone out here whom I have worked with before. Sure, doing it alone is tough, but I'd rather do it alone than have a co-founder I wasn't sure about. Are you thinking about starting something alone / searching for a co-founder? Feel free to shoot me an email if you wan perspectives on doing it alone. Good luck!
- neilk 16y agoI'm not thinking about doing this myself. The very idea of looking for co-founders among strangers seems absolutely bonkers to me. I am just interested that there appears to be a mini-industry springing up to serve people that have this fantasy. It suggests to me that we now have a new set of cultural myths about entrepreneurship, to some extent created by this very website. Consider how many fortunes are made selling the old image of entrepreneurship. Books with titles like "Millionaire's Mind". They make the elementary mistake of assuming that if one emulates the characteristics of successful people (or organizations), this will lead to one's own success. For example, Jim Collins has made his entire career out of telling people how to emulate successful organizations. He observes that great (or greatly profitable) organizations, like Microsoft, have all set themselves what he calls a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, such as "A computer on every desk and in every home". And pretty soon the accounting departments at fourth-rate retailers are taking weekend retreats to ask themselves what their "BHAG" is.
- amorphid 16y agoLooking for a co-founder is usually a waste of time. If you are flying solo, hire someone good and cheap.
- neilk 16y agoWell, according to the iron triangle, that also means slow. ;)
- ScottWhigham 16y agoOP, if you are asking this b/c you are wanting to find a co-founder yourself, I'll offer this advice: be wary of anyone who says (1) they did find a co-founder through these types of techniques, and (2) who has been with that person for less than one year (or possibly two). I've seen guys who say that they have a startup and then find a co-founder but both are still working full-time on their jobs while trying to get the startup ready part time. That doesn't count to me - if I was looking for a co-founder, I'd want concrete answers from people who had spent 60+ hours a week together for a year or longer.
- growt 16y agoyes. next question?