Finding a Cofounder: The 5 Most Efficient Places to Find the Gem
Let’s be real. Building a startup solo is a mental battle.
I’ve done both: building alone and building with cofounders.
And no matter how skilled or productive you are, doing everything yourself wears you down.
You have days with momentum, and days where your brain just says "nah."
That’s where cofounders change the game.
Accountability Momentum Shared decision-making Split workload And yes, sharing the pie is what makes the journey exciting.
Over the past few years, I’ve tried almost every way to find a cofounder. Some worked. Some were a waste of time. But here are the five most efficient ways I’ve personally used and what I’ve learned from each one.
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Your Existing Network Ask yourself: Do I know someone or know someone who knows someone who might want to build something?
The friend-of-a-friend angle is underrated. If you share even one layer of trust, you reduce a lot of risk around values or work style. Some of my best partnerships started through casual intros like this. -
Communities (online and offline) Most people think of online communities like IndieHackers, Discords, Reddit, or Facebook groups. But one of my most unexpected cofounder experiences came from my boxing club.
We bonded over tough training sessions and then got into deep convos about tech. Shared experiences build trust fast.
Whether it’s a hobby group, a Skool community, or just a place you spend time, shared interests can lead to real alignment. -
Cofounder Match Platforms Tools like YC’s cofounder matching, StartHawk, or FoundersList bring people together with one clear goal.
The upside is obvious Everyone there is actively looking Plenty of options The downside It takes time Some outreach feels like cold emailing You still need to vet deeply to find someone who clicks
Still, I met one solid cofounder this way after two months of digging. It did work eventually. -
Startup and Hacker Events If you don’t have a network, go build one in person.
Hackathons, meetups, local pitch nights, demo days, even coworking events are full of people in motion. I’ve met future collaborators at startup breakfasts and niche meetups in completely unrelated industries. The energy is different when you're face to face. -
Coworking Spaces Coworkings are full of builders People already freelancing, bootstrapping, testing new ideas It's an underrated place to find potential partners who are already doing the work
Some of my most valuable connections started with casual convos in a shared kitchen.
How I Met My Cofounders
One from university One through a friend of a friend One on IndieHackers One on a paid cofounder platform Each method can work, but the truth is it takes time
Even with your own network, it can take months You need to meet people in different contexts, have several deep conversations, and get a real sense of how you work together
That’s why I’ve started experimenting with something a bit different. A monthly email featuring a small batch of curated profiles, based on your preferences, from people actively looking for cofounders to start a project together. The goal is to cut through the noise and help serious builders connect without wasting time.
If that sounds like something you'd be into, I'm quietly testing it here: https://tally.so/r/w5AQO6
Curious what others think Where have you found the best luck meeting potential cofounders What’s worked best for you so far
Yes this is my total problem. I have been trying to find the right partner / a partner for decades. I know there are some things needed. drive, trust, spirit, time etc. I know with the right partner we could do something significantly meaningful. I would love to talk.