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15 Comments

Finding a co-founder on the internet. Good idea or bad idea?

Hi guys, I'm a tech guy who develops my project. For me, it's very interesting: Has anybody looked for a cofounder on the internet? Maybe someone has the experience and some thoughts about this?! Please share with me =)

  1. 6

    I think you have to work with someone before you can find out if you are a good fit or not. It does not matter if you find them on the internet or in real life. Either way till you work with them you will not know if your working style mesh or don't. So before you decide you want to team up with someone I would suggest seeing if the two of you can work on a small project together and make sure everyone can deliver before taking the next step.

    1. 1

      +1

      I personally did this, but I wasn’t actively seeking a co-founder at the time. You want to find someone you are going to get along with through all the highs and lows of a startup.

      A co-worker in your full time role or a client/contractor you’ve done several projects with is a good starting point.

  2. 4

    I have tried a few times but no luck. The biggest challenge is to get interested in their project or convince them that your project is interesting. One solution to this problem is to evaluate founder-market fit. If the potential partner is an expert in that space, its easier to trust their instincts. I am still working through this process though.

  3. 3

    Do not blindly pick anyone solely on their merits.

    You need to be a good fit, best way is as everyone already mentioned. Work with the person and see how he/she are to work with. If it's a pleasant experience then you go ahead and consider a partnership.

    Another thing before entering a partnership is to talk about expectations, and how to resolve unexpected issues or conflicts. Conflicts will happen sooner or later, and if you haven't agreed on how to handle them prior, it can be worse than it has to be.

    What happens if your partner get's long term sickness that prevents working? What happens if one wants to leave the business several months in? What happens if one of you get an offer to sell shares? What happens if you get into such a disagreement that it prevents the business from moving forward? What happens if one starts to become unresponsive? Chance that this happens might be unlikely, but not impossible, especially if you haven't known each other for long. 😉

    1. 1

      thank you for sum this up! I'll keep remind myself this as I'm on a path to search for my technical partner/cofounder. It's so hard!

  4. 2

    I don't think it matters where you meet someone. If you're both passionate about similar things, have complimenting skills, and can work well together then it shouldn't matter. However, figuring out if you can work well together isn't as simple as exchanging some emails. Personally, I think you could try to do a hackathon or something small for a week with someone and then commit to gradually larger projects as you find a fit or not.

  5. 1

    Hey Dmitriy! I actually just put together a guide on how to go about finding a co-founder online. My guide is more oriented toward people who don't have technical experience and are looking for a technical co-founder to join, but some of the advice, particularly the websites to visit to try finding a co-founder (like CoFoundersLab.com), definitely applies.

    Here it is if you are interested - just make sure you open it on your computer (not visible on mobile at the moment)! https://app.kahana.co/workspace/WxX9FTf0loXf7ZNT9oVz?shareable=true

  6. 1

    I've had some pretty good luck so far partnering up with folks I met online.

    With 2 out of 3 projects, while I originally had met them online, I had the chance to interact with them both for a couple years before we ever partnered.

    The 3rd partnership partially worked out too, and I didn't know them at all beforehand. While they eventually had to back out of the partnership, they were gracious and helpful, and wound up giving me some great advice to find a new partner -- they introduced me to IH :)

    But as @pras2018 mentioned, it might be a little more challenging finding someone blindly and partnering with them outright (unless of course you can vet them somehow).

    People are going to be at the best and most interested when you first meet them, so it'll be hard to know if someone is going to be a good long-term partner unless you have some history with them.

    You may want to try posting your project here in this Group, with some details, and see what kind of people take an interest.

  7. 1

    For cofounders, you have to find someone who is really passionate about what you both are going to build. If you're both passionate about similar things, and can work well together then you probably should give it a shot.

    The problem here is it is hard to gauge someone's interest and passion for similar solutions by merely scrolling through the internet. However, I recommend you checkout https://creft.io: it is an invite-only product for top professionals to build a personalized global network. Using an ML system, members receive 1-1 connections with people who share similar professional interests as them.

    Hope you find this valuable!

  8. 1

    It can be dangerous but if you actually take the time and meet with him/her regularly, you can find the best co-founder on the internet too.

  9. 1

    I'm doing this and have had mixed success. My current strategy is to look for someone with a specific interest in the field. This is probably obvious to most but has been eye-opening to me :).

    If you can find someone with a mutual interest in solving a problem I don't think it matters where you meet.

    1. 1

      thanks, very good advice :)

  10. 1

    Well, I'm looking to partner up (providing you're from the UK).

    But to answer your question, I would share the LinkedIn account as the first step.

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      Unfortunately I'm not from UK. It's interesting why is it important for you?

      1. 1

        We have the same local times, easy to travel, etc.

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