11 ms·

Ask HN: Does anyone know a site that let's you search for a co founder?

13 points by mat3 17y ago

Like a monster.com but specifically for people who are interested in cofounding a startup.

jasonlbaptiste 17y ago
I feel you can't force co-founders or look at it from a traditional standpoint. It just happens. No exact formula. Hacker News probably works best so far for this: whether it's a hacker or biz focused co-founder.
vaksel 17y ago
http://collabfinder.com/ http://collabfinder.com/
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- SingAlong 17y ago
  hey! thanks for that link. CollabFinder seems good. I just signed up. The message boards seem to be filled too. nice! But I think someone should come up with a site for entrepreneurs/developers/designers like speed-dating. Maybe based on online chat... like just keep changing the person you are chatting with every 5 min. That's like giving a person 5 minutes to explain himself and understand the other and hit it off. :)
  - mat3 17y ago
    I really like your idea of speed dating idea applied to cofounders.
    - SingAlong 17y ago
      well, if you like to work on it, I would be glad to describe the idea to you. P.S: I would really like to see something like this
arfrank 17y ago
I think the best way might be to post here looking for someone with free time and an interest. Anyway, I happen to meet that description and have been looking for something new to start. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, shoot me an email if your interested.
- mat3 17y ago
  Are you in the bay area? Also what's your area of expertise: developer/designer/marketing etc mine is engineering/product
bkudria 17y ago
Try http://younoodle.com http://younoodle.com
mojombo 17y ago
Yeah, it's called the local user's group for the technology of your choice.
- gruseom 17y ago
  Worked for me.
dfranke 17y ago
http://partnerup.com http://partnerup.com, but beware incessant customer retention spam.
- mat3 17y ago
  The problem with http://collabfinder.com/ http://collabfinder.com/, http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ http://programmermeetdesigner.com/, http://cofoundr.com http://cofoundr.com, http://partnerup.com http://partnerup.com is that they seem like job boards. I'm not looking for an employee to execute my idea. I want to discuss ideas with them and agree together on what we want to work on. I'm looking for a co founder who is willing to share some of risk of founding a startup. They may contribute capital, programming skills, design skills, but it's really the startup mindset that's most important. That's what makes them different from an employee.
  - dfranke 17y ago
    I think these sorts of sites are the best you're going to do if you nobody you already know fits the bill and hence you and your potential cofounder are starting out as strangers. The qualities that you're (rightly) looking for are much more easily selected for among people that you already know personally. Meatspace is your best bet, news.yc is a distant second, and partnerup and the like are third.
    - mat3 17y ago
      I guess you are right. Most people I know arent startup types and are satisfied in their job. The startup types I know have their own startup or are working in a startup. I'm trying to find startup types who are looking to start a startup.
daveambrose 17y ago
If you're in the NYC area next week, stop by Hackers & Founders: http://anyvite.com/events/home/vnq9pdylxo http://anyvite.com/events/home/vnq9pdylxo
DTrejo 17y ago
Hacker News: attend the meetups in your area, talk on #startups, be sociable, Ask HN.
- coopr 17y ago
  How does one "ask HN" to find a co-founder in a way that is acceptable to this community? Can I really make a post saying something like "My early-stage, pre-funding, revenue-generating startup is looking for a technical co-founder"? I thought that sort of post wasn't allowed here, except by Y Combinator companies?
bkrausz 17y ago
http://news.ycombinator.com http://news.ycombinator.com ?
mallipeddi 17y ago
http://cofoundr.com http://cofoundr.com
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
invisible 17y ago
This one seems decent (aside from collabfinder): http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ Really, it's hard to make a commitment without doing some side projects with an individual or KNOWING them. There are a lot of ways to get scared.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
mahmud 17y ago
FWIW: Keep the "cofounders" to a minimum, my choice is ONE. This is not for greed but for focus and unity in vision. Feel free to offer people all the perks you want, but try to keep the steering-wheel in as few hands as possible. [Edit: I can understand why a VC might be interested in having multiple cofounders, and aside from the obvious diversity in opinion, VCs might also be interested in having a team that might be easier to break up at the right point; paying out the least interested cofounder early leaves more for them. If you're self-funded hire others.]
- medianama 17y ago
  very good point. I am surprised by the emphasis people (VCs/YC) put on multiple co-founders. I think it increases the risk of company failing because co-founders didn't get along well at a later stage.

13 points by mat3 17y ago

Like a monster.com but specifically for people who are interested in cofounding a startup.

I feel you can't force co-founders or look at it from a traditional standpoint. It just happens. No exact formula. Hacker News probably works best so far for this: whether it's a hacker or biz focused co-founder.

vaksel 17y ago

http://collabfinder.com/ http://collabfinder.com/

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
SingAlong 17y ago
hey! thanks for that link. CollabFinder seems good. I just signed up. The message boards seem to be filled too. nice! But I think someone should come up with a site for entrepreneurs/developers/designers like speed-dating. Maybe based on online chat... like just keep changing the person you are chatting with every 5 min. That's like giving a person 5 minutes to explain himself and understand the other and hit it off. :)
- mat3 17y ago
  I really like your idea of speed dating idea applied to cofounders.
  - SingAlong 17y ago
    well, if you like to work on it, I would be glad to describe the idea to you. P.S: I would really like to see something like this

arfrank 17y ago

I think the best way might be to post here looking for someone with free time and an interest. Anyway, I happen to meet that description and have been looking for something new to start. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, shoot me an email if your interested.

mat3 17y ago
Are you in the bay area? Also what's your area of expertise: developer/designer/marketing etc mine is engineering/product

bkudria 17y ago

Try http://younoodle.com http://younoodle.com

mojombo 17y ago

Yeah, it's called the local user's group for the technology of your choice.

gruseom 17y ago
Worked for me.

dfranke 17y ago

http://partnerup.com http://partnerup.com, but beware incessant customer retention spam.

mat3 17y ago
The problem with http://collabfinder.com/ http://collabfinder.com/, http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ http://programmermeetdesigner.com/, http://cofoundr.com http://cofoundr.com, http://partnerup.com http://partnerup.com is that they seem like job boards. I'm not looking for an employee to execute my idea. I want to discuss ideas with them and agree together on what we want to work on. I'm looking for a co founder who is willing to share some of risk of founding a startup. They may contribute capital, programming skills, design skills, but it's really the startup mindset that's most important. That's what makes them different from an employee.
- dfranke 17y ago
  I think these sorts of sites are the best you're going to do if you nobody you already know fits the bill and hence you and your potential cofounder are starting out as strangers. The qualities that you're (rightly) looking for are much more easily selected for among people that you already know personally. Meatspace is your best bet, news.yc is a distant second, and partnerup and the like are third.
  - mat3 17y ago
    I guess you are right. Most people I know arent startup types and are satisfied in their job. The startup types I know have their own startup or are working in a startup. I'm trying to find startup types who are looking to start a startup.

daveambrose 17y ago

If you're in the NYC area next week, stop by Hackers & Founders: http://anyvite.com/events/home/vnq9pdylxo http://anyvite.com/events/home/vnq9pdylxo

DTrejo 17y ago

Hacker News: attend the meetups in your area, talk on #startups, be sociable, Ask HN.

coopr 17y ago
How does one "ask HN" to find a co-founder in a way that is acceptable to this community? Can I really make a post saying something like "My early-stage, pre-funding, revenue-generating startup is looking for a technical co-founder"? I thought that sort of post wasn't allowed here, except by Y Combinator companies?

bkrausz 17y ago

http://news.ycombinator.com http://news.ycombinator.com ?

mallipeddi 17y ago

http://cofoundr.com http://cofoundr.com

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

invisible 17y ago

This one seems decent (aside from collabfinder): http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ http://programmermeetdesigner.com/ Really, it's hard to make a commitment without doing some side projects with an individual or KNOWING them. There are a lot of ways to get scared.

deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

mahmud 17y ago

FWIW: Keep the "cofounders" to a minimum, my choice is ONE. This is not for greed but for focus and unity in vision. Feel free to offer people all the perks you want, but try to keep the steering-wheel in as few hands as possible. [Edit: I can understand why a VC might be interested in having multiple cofounders, and aside from the obvious diversity in opinion, VCs might also be interested in having a team that might be easier to break up at the right point; paying out the least interested cofounder early leaves more for them. If you're self-funded hire others.]

medianama 17y ago
very good point. I am surprised by the emphasis people (VCs/YC) put on multiple co-founders. I think it increases the risk of company failing because co-founders didn't get along well at a later stage.