Ask HN: Where is the best place to find a co-founder

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8320939

by georgeallen003 • 12 years ago

5 16 12 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I have looked at the usual suspects like CoFounders Lab, but nothing really seems intuitive or a good match. Any suggestions to find a CoFounder with web development skills?

valarauca1• 12 years ago

Honestly, networking. You'll need to vet a lot of people, which means you'll have to talk to at least 10x as many before you find a good match that your comfortable with.

I've also used services like CoFounders Lab, and several others which have been suggested. They're all pretty mediocre at best.

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

Thanks for the reply. I have been doing that, but networking with people such as programmers is challenging, they don't seem to get out much. I even tried going to meetups and coordinated events, they are just an elusive bunch.

Again, thanks for the reply, i'll keep try to meet people.

taprun• 12 years ago

Go to meetup.com - Type in the name of your city and search for groups involved in "programming". I live in a technology backwater, and I'm attending two tech events this week.

brudgers• 12 years ago

Why not pick up some web development skills yourself?

This will allow the project to advance and make you more attractive to programmers because it shows a willingness to do whatever it takes to make the idea a reality.

This could be important because programmers often encounter people who value the idea over its execution.

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

Great advice!I have been learning,albeit slow. I have half a prototype with my limited skills.

I couldn't agree more about the idea vs. execution disparity.

martharotter• 12 years ago

Networking & meetups are great, as mentioned. I am also seeing a lot of people on good tech mailing lists start to reach out as well for co-founders.

Groups like NY Tech Meetup (http://www.meetup.com/ny-tech/), SF New Tech (http://www.meetup.com/sfnewtech/), various regional founders groups on facebook are all places I've seen people connecting to talk about working together on startups.

I don't know how useful it is, but I've also heard mention of Founder Dating (and there are regional meetups for those as well): http://founderdating.com/ Good luck!

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

Another great suggestion, I am thoroughly impressed with the feedback. I had not heard of founderdating before, I will check it out too.

alain94040• 12 years ago

The best co-founder is someone you worked with before. Have you really contacted all your [good] ex co-workers to find out where they went? Even the ones who couldn't possibly be interested in startups? People change.

If that doesn't work, network. Once you find someone who seems good and interested in your space, get them on board on a temporary basic. Pay them, do whatever it takes to get them to work with you for a 1-3 months. Only then sign papers that give away significant stock and make them officially a co-founder.

clu3• 12 years ago

Hi i am a long time web dev and otoh looking for a biz/product partner. Interested? Maybe HN is the place to find a cofounder. I tried on cofounders lab but to much spam there

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

I am open to exploring a venture with you. Not sure how people connect through HN, but my profile is listed and has several ways to get in touch. Just mention this post.

sedeki2• 12 years ago

If you're interested in a remote cofounder, then I might be up for the challenge :-)

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

Interesting offer, are you a Web progrmmer? If so, I am open to discussing with you.

sedeki2• 12 years ago

Yes, I'm a Python/Django developer. Do you have Skype?

georgeallen0037• 12 years ago

HN community...these are all great suggestions and the feedback has been really positive. Thank you!

Ask HN: Where is the best place to find a co-founder

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