Ask HN: How did you meet your co-founder?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44334459

by kwar13 • 1 year ago

4 12 1 year ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm trying to get a startup off the ground but need at least one co-founder to complement my own skills. I'm thinking of possibly joining an accelerator/incubator to meet a potential co-founder. I'm curious to hear how you might have found yours.

handfuloflight• 1 year ago

Claude and I have discovered many synergies.

moomoo11• 1 year ago

IMHO if you can’t get a good co founder, don’t bother.

If you’re driven you can figure it out and fill in the blanks.

If you’re successful just hire the roles you want to fill.

muzani• 1 year ago

Joined some entrepreneurship seminar. It was useful. Just overpriced. There was a Facebook group for participants.

My cofounder was selling ebooks on business advice in that group. He wasn't particularly famous but offered a 100% money back guarantee and the books were like $5 anyway. They were good advice, some of which I still quote today and get a bunch of upvotes for on HN lol. He had some Facebook groups of his own. We'd post about these kinds of things, as you do in HN today.

One day, after struggling with trying to find employment and freelance clients I decided to just make an app company. I wanted to do e-commerce, figured I needed a partner who had experience with the offline part. Since I was buying books on logistics and stuff from this guy, I offered to meet him and pay for his latest book, but instead of paying cash price, I'd pay for a meal that cost more than the book. He was happy to meet. We clicked. Built a startup and sold it for decent profit after a year... we did run out of money and it was easier to get acquired than funding.

I know YC says don't do businesses with strangers off the internet but it works for me. Dude was really ride or die, and stuck through the lowest lows. Heck I met my wife by sending SMSes to strangers, but that's a story for another day.

bravesoul2• 1 year ago

I really think the be a founder with someone you've known since kindergarten and who went to the same uni and you are best friends like brothers thing is a bit overrated. Find some random. Do some lower stakes work with them. See if you like them; share values; etc.

You know that dating thing and then some dates lead to marriage, kids ... like what has kept humanity from going extinct. Yeah it works. Same with trade!

physix• 1 year ago

We met on a project in a bank. Worked together for a number of years. Became friends.

We trust, respect and understand each other. I think that's really important. You'll be going through think and think together.

khasanov• 1 year ago

I used to run web-studio and had a talented full-stack developer on one of the projects.

He showed himself as a very hardworking, dedicated, loyal & honest person.

When I've decided that I need a co-founder a few months later, I just called him and offered it straightforwardly.

4 years together building products since then.

I evaluated personality only, and that worked for me.

cpersona• 1 year ago

My former manager. We worked together 6 years before our two ventures together. Neither was successful in the end, but we remain friends.

cylinderthought• 1 year ago

in google ai studio

my other cofounder is my cousin

aristofun• 1 year ago

Ex colleague (reportee) from one of jobs I had

ecesena• 1 year ago

Check out YC's https://www.startupschool.org

mmarian• 1 year ago

Second this. Got some potential partnerships, not sure if they'll work out but it's better than anything else.

laurentl• 1 year ago

Old-fashioned I guess: LinkedIn

I applied for a CTO position out of curiosity, had a conversation with the CEO (now my cofounder) and hit it off. I was "lucky" to have worked with a so-so CEO previously so I knew exactly what soft skills and personality I wanted in a co-founder.

Ask HN: How did you meet your co-founder?

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