6 ms·

How to Meet Your Next Cofounder

76 points by mojombo 18y ago

kleneway 18y ago
This is great advice. I go to as many local startup meetings as I can. Besides being a great place to meet people, they're almost universally a lot of fun.
- tocomment 18y ago
  Any good ones in the NYC area?
  - Alex3917 18y ago
    http://www.garysguide.org/events http://www.garysguide.org/events
ram1024 18y ago
>IS< stealth-mode really bullshit? no one has convinced me yet :(
- mojombo 18y ago
  My experience, while obviously not universally true, is that "release early, release often" is critical to web applications. One big mistake we made at Powerset was to keep everything secret and fuel the hype machine. I think that in the end this was harmful to the company image. It would have been better to get the tool out in front of people, show them what we could do, and let them see the progress. That way you can get people behind you, cheering you on, instead of having them get bored with all the unproven claims you keep making. Ideas are cheap. Implementations are what make or break a business.
  - ram1024 18y ago
    so stealth mode until you have a product? or don't stealthmode at all, just come out and say "we're building THIS, get ready for the storm" ? heh, i'm just afraid of saying we're going to build something, then having to say "woops, we changed our minds, building this other thing makes more sense to us, sorry about that thing before..."
    - wheels 18y ago
      You'll do that anyway, over and over. Especially if this is your first startup. In my experience (definitely including myself) most first time founders couldn't recognize a market if it hit them over the head in the early phase. The process of pitching your idea helps target what you're doing. This doesn't change just because you've launched and everyone who's seen a little of the startup world knows to expect this.
      - nostrademons 18y ago
        Something I've noticed: I'm pretty good at telling other people where their product sucks, how they've completely missed the point, and how to do their job better. And yet I haven't yet been able to parlay that into a kickass product of my own. If I reverse that finding and assume that I'm not particularly smart or special (usually a pretty good assumption), it follows that other people can do a pretty good job telling you where you're screwing up, how you've completely missed the point, and how you ought to do your job. And you're actually in a position to do something about it. And it's unlikely that they're in a position to do something about it. Hell, if they have more ego than self-interest (as most people do), you might even get this advice for free.
        wheels 18y ago
        Definitely. It's painful thinking back on the first times I was pitching our stuff and how irrelevant the stuff I was saying was. Even now, 9 months in I struggle to make myself focus. Constantly pitching and having people rip what I'm saying apart is the only reason I'm not completely retarded about it.
    - 18y ago
- webwright 18y ago
  I think stealth mode is (99% of the time) bullshit. I think most of the time you should talk about your product to anyone who will listen. Here are a few things you can't easily get in stealth mode: - A partner/co-founder: The idea makes all the difference for people who might consider diving in with you. Potential partners don't have time to meet with all the stealth-monkies to sign their NDA and hear about their (usually uninteresting to them) idea. - A customer: In stealth mode, you'll never meet anyone who will say, "Holy crap that's cool. Can I sign up to be a pilot customer?" - Wisdom about how to talk about your product: Every time you pitch your product to ANYONE, you get better at knowing what people want, how to talk about it, and where they get confused. - A random referral: In stealth mode, you'll never hear "Oh! You know who'd be the perfect co-founder/investor/employee/pilot customer for you?!" - A great idea that makes your idea BETTER. Of course, a lot of stealth moders have serious idea-hubris, so they probably couldn't imagine their idea getting any better. - An investor. No investor will sign an NDA. Most would punt you if you even asked. - SEO benefit. Backlinks and site age both effect rankings. Start building now. On the other side of the coin, would your competition REALLY change their execution if they knew you existed? "Oh no! Two guys armed with Ruby on Rails! We're DOOOOMED!"
- vlod 18y ago
  yes, its BS. i go to the hackers+founders meetup in sunnyvale and we bounce ideas of one another. its a real conversational killer if someone wont talk about what their doing.
- wheels 18y ago
  Yeah, we tried it, it is. Here are a few reasons: - If you're a hacker, you probably didn't start with market research, you probably started with code, and you already have competition that you just weren't diligent enough to find. Or the other standard view -- you don't think you're actually competing with the market leaders, because your head is stuck too far in the concept. But you are and everyone else will see that. - Unless you're funded prior to launching, or have a team with an impressive (startup) track record, nobody in the press cares about your launch. We got picked up in a couple of German (where we're based) news sites which didn't bring in nearly as many hits as posts here or in my personal (fairly widely syndicated) blog. - Most people when they hear your idea will think that it's dumb. This is universal. Practicing making it sound not dumb is much more important than worrying about people copying your (dumb-sounding) idea. Learning to pitch your idea takes a while. If you've already been funded and developing for a couple years before launch, yeah, then you can make a bit of a splash when you launch. Incidentally -- great parent article. Spot-on with my thoughts on finding co-founders.
habs 18y ago
"The second biggest danger with going solo is the loss of motivation." I found this to be true, a few weeks a go I mentioned my idea to an old friend of mine and he was sold. I have found a cofonder and now things are back on track. I was lucky, the guy I'm now working with is my best friend from grad school. So I already knew I wouldn't have a problem with him. I do think that having somebody else working with you makes a huge impact. Not only on the product itself but also on your mentality.
- cperciva 18y ago
  "The second biggest danger with going solo is the loss of motivation." I agree with this... however, there are ways to get motivation other than adding a co-founder. For example, I find that living in my parents' basement and having them ask me every few weeks when I'm going to start making money is very good motivation. :-)
  - babul 18y ago
    ...better still, they should give you a deadline upon which they will throw you out (in a nice way, of course) or charge rent :-) For most people (atleast that I have observed), becoming independent really focused them and helped raise thier game and productivity^. Nothing is as motivating as neccessity? ^n.b. not applicable to Putnam winners ;-)
    - aneesh 18y ago
      Being a Putnam winner doesn't automatically mean you're productive, just that you're damn smart ;-)
      - deleted 18y ago
        [deleted]
      - babul 18y ago
        ...but you will have needed to focus and raise your game to get one?
teej 18y ago
What if you're not looking for a technical co-founder? If I could find someone who (a) had a good idea of the Real Estate Technology landscape and (b) has relationships with local Brokers, I would drop everything and start my "next big thing" tomorrow.
- apsurd 18y ago
  "if only", "maybe i could", "well i would but"...
  - teej 18y ago
    I'm being honest. While I'm hoping to meet anyone that resembles a co-founder for that idea, I'm already working to build a business in a different industry. I'm not waiting for "just the right time", I just have some ideas in my mental queue that necessitate competent industry partners, and some that don't.
    - elai 18y ago
      Goto the real estate parties and meets and what not?
      - teej 18y ago
        They can't afford parties anymore :-(
- stevesmith155 18y ago
  teej: Could you please send me an email? s t e v e s m i t h 1 5 5 @ g m a i l . c o m
DaniFong 18y ago
I found my cofounder when he tried to hire me. :-)
elai 18y ago
Yes, a way to find a co-founder that doesn't involve university.
kalvin 18y ago
I was looking for someone interested / with background in both "social entrepreneurship" (/nonprofits) and "consumer internet startups", which isn't exactly a huge intersection... I ended up finding a match through younoodle.com (it's a "social network for startup types", as far as I can tell). Still looking though... It'd be great if there were a better way to find people with X set of skills and Y set of passions.
PStamatiou 18y ago
I met my cofounder at a Startup Weekend event here in Atlanta.

76 points by mojombo 18y ago

This is great advice. I go to as many local startup meetings as I can. Besides being a great place to meet people, they're almost universally a lot of fun.

tocomment 18y ago
Any good ones in the NYC area?
- Alex3917 18y ago
  http://www.garysguide.org/events http://www.garysguide.org/events

ram1024 18y ago

>IS< stealth-mode really bullshit? no one has convinced me yet :(

mojombo 18y ago
My experience, while obviously not universally true, is that "release early, release often" is critical to web applications. One big mistake we made at Powerset was to keep everything secret and fuel the hype machine. I think that in the end this was harmful to the company image. It would have been better to get the tool out in front of people, show them what we could do, and let them see the progress. That way you can get people behind you, cheering you on, instead of having them get bored with all the unproven claims you keep making. Ideas are cheap. Implementations are what make or break a business.
- ram1024 18y ago
  so stealth mode until you have a product? or don't stealthmode at all, just come out and say "we're building THIS, get ready for the storm" ? heh, i'm just afraid of saying we're going to build something, then having to say "woops, we changed our minds, building this other thing makes more sense to us, sorry about that thing before..."
  - wheels 18y ago
    You'll do that anyway, over and over. Especially if this is your first startup. In my experience (definitely including myself) most first time founders couldn't recognize a market if it hit them over the head in the early phase. The process of pitching your idea helps target what you're doing. This doesn't change just because you've launched and everyone who's seen a little of the startup world knows to expect this.
    - nostrademons 18y ago
      Something I've noticed: I'm pretty good at telling other people where their product sucks, how they've completely missed the point, and how to do their job better. And yet I haven't yet been able to parlay that into a kickass product of my own. If I reverse that finding and assume that I'm not particularly smart or special (usually a pretty good assumption), it follows that other people can do a pretty good job telling you where you're screwing up, how you've completely missed the point, and how you ought to do your job. And you're actually in a position to do something about it. And it's unlikely that they're in a position to do something about it. Hell, if they have more ego than self-interest (as most people do), you might even get this advice for free.
      - wheels 18y ago
        Definitely. It's painful thinking back on the first times I was pitching our stuff and how irrelevant the stuff I was saying was. Even now, 9 months in I struggle to make myself focus. Constantly pitching and having people rip what I'm saying apart is the only reason I'm not completely retarded about it.
  - 18y ago
webwright 18y ago
I think stealth mode is (99% of the time) bullshit. I think most of the time you should talk about your product to anyone who will listen. Here are a few things you can't easily get in stealth mode: - A partner/co-founder: The idea makes all the difference for people who might consider diving in with you. Potential partners don't have time to meet with all the stealth-monkies to sign their NDA and hear about their (usually uninteresting to them) idea. - A customer: In stealth mode, you'll never meet anyone who will say, "Holy crap that's cool. Can I sign up to be a pilot customer?" - Wisdom about how to talk about your product: Every time you pitch your product to ANYONE, you get better at knowing what people want, how to talk about it, and where they get confused. - A random referral: In stealth mode, you'll never hear "Oh! You know who'd be the perfect co-founder/investor/employee/pilot customer for you?!" - A great idea that makes your idea BETTER. Of course, a lot of stealth moders have serious idea-hubris, so they probably couldn't imagine their idea getting any better. - An investor. No investor will sign an NDA. Most would punt you if you even asked. - SEO benefit. Backlinks and site age both effect rankings. Start building now. On the other side of the coin, would your competition REALLY change their execution if they knew you existed? "Oh no! Two guys armed with Ruby on Rails! We're DOOOOMED!"
vlod 18y ago
yes, its BS. i go to the hackers+founders meetup in sunnyvale and we bounce ideas of one another. its a real conversational killer if someone wont talk about what their doing.
wheels 18y ago
Yeah, we tried it, it is. Here are a few reasons: - If you're a hacker, you probably didn't start with market research, you probably started with code, and you already have competition that you just weren't diligent enough to find. Or the other standard view -- you don't think you're actually competing with the market leaders, because your head is stuck too far in the concept. But you are and everyone else will see that. - Unless you're funded prior to launching, or have a team with an impressive (startup) track record, nobody in the press cares about your launch. We got picked up in a couple of German (where we're based) news sites which didn't bring in nearly as many hits as posts here or in my personal (fairly widely syndicated) blog. - Most people when they hear your idea will think that it's dumb. This is universal. Practicing making it sound not dumb is much more important than worrying about people copying your (dumb-sounding) idea. Learning to pitch your idea takes a while. If you've already been funded and developing for a couple years before launch, yeah, then you can make a bit of a splash when you launch. Incidentally -- great parent article. Spot-on with my thoughts on finding co-founders.

habs 18y ago

"The second biggest danger with going solo is the loss of motivation." I found this to be true, a few weeks a go I mentioned my idea to an old friend of mine and he was sold. I have found a cofonder and now things are back on track. I was lucky, the guy I'm now working with is my best friend from grad school. So I already knew I wouldn't have a problem with him. I do think that having somebody else working with you makes a huge impact. Not only on the product itself but also on your mentality.

cperciva 18y ago
"The second biggest danger with going solo is the loss of motivation." I agree with this... however, there are ways to get motivation other than adding a co-founder. For example, I find that living in my parents' basement and having them ask me every few weeks when I'm going to start making money is very good motivation. :-)
- babul 18y ago
  ...better still, they should give you a deadline upon which they will throw you out (in a nice way, of course) or charge rent :-) For most people (atleast that I have observed), becoming independent really focused them and helped raise thier game and productivity^. Nothing is as motivating as neccessity? ^n.b. not applicable to Putnam winners ;-)
  - aneesh 18y ago
    Being a Putnam winner doesn't automatically mean you're productive, just that you're damn smart ;-)
    - deleted 18y ago
      [deleted]
    - babul 18y ago
      ...but you will have needed to focus and raise your game to get one?

teej 18y ago

What if you're not looking for a technical co-founder? If I could find someone who (a) had a good idea of the Real Estate Technology landscape and (b) has relationships with local Brokers, I would drop everything and start my "next big thing" tomorrow.

apsurd 18y ago
"if only", "maybe i could", "well i would but"...
- teej 18y ago
  I'm being honest. While I'm hoping to meet anyone that resembles a co-founder for that idea, I'm already working to build a business in a different industry. I'm not waiting for "just the right time", I just have some ideas in my mental queue that necessitate competent industry partners, and some that don't.
  - elai 18y ago
    Goto the real estate parties and meets and what not?
    - teej 18y ago
      They can't afford parties anymore :-(
stevesmith155 18y ago
teej: Could you please send me an email? s t e v e s m i t h 1 5 5 @ g m a i l . c o m

DaniFong 18y ago

I found my cofounder when he tried to hire me. :-)

elai 18y ago

Yes, a way to find a co-founder that doesn't involve university.

kalvin 18y ago

I was looking for someone interested / with background in both "social entrepreneurship" (/nonprofits) and "consumer internet startups", which isn't exactly a huge intersection... I ended up finding a match through younoodle.com (it's a "social network for startup types", as far as I can tell). Still looking though... It'd be great if there were a better way to find people with X set of skills and Y set of passions.

PStamatiou 18y ago

I met my cofounder at a Startup Weekend event here in Atlanta.