Startups guide
How to find a cofounder
Choosing a cofounder is closer to choosing a long-term partner than hiring. The idea will change; the relationship is what has to last. Take the search, and the testing, seriously.
By the DuskMeet team · Updated · 7 min read
Decide what you actually need
List what the company needs in its first year and be honest about which of those you cannot do. A cofounder should cover the biggest gap, not duplicate your strengths.
- Building the product: engineering, design
- Selling it: sales, marketing, partnerships
- Running it: operations, finance, hiring
Where to look
- Former colleagues whose work you have seen
- Startup communities, hackathons and founder events
- People already working on a problem close to yours
- Platforms where people say they are looking for a cofounder
On DuskMeet you can choose cofounder or business partner as what you are looking for, and filter by skills, industry and experience, so both sides know why you are talking.
Talk about the hard things first
Before discussing the idea in detail, find out whether you could work together.
- How much time can each of you give, and for how long without a salary?
- What does success look like for each of you in five years?
- How do you make decisions when you disagree?
- How do you each handle stress and setbacks?
- What would make you want to leave?
Test before you commit
Work on something small together for a few weeks: a prototype, customer interviews or a landing page. You will learn more about each other from one deadline than from many coffees.
Agree in writing how equity and vesting would work before either of you invests serious time. It is easier to discuss while everyone is optimistic.
Warning signs
- Reluctance to commit time, while expecting equal ownership
- Very different expectations about money, pace or company size
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Your gut telling you that you would not enjoy a long week together