Finding a co-founder should be taken as seriously as searching for your life partner. And it may cost you even more if you pick the wrong one.
There are four main ways to look for your co-founder. One, is to get on platforms like YC co-founder matching and Roots. These are good starting points.
Another great way to search is through your existing network. Go to your roots. Look for common denominators: maybe you went to the same college or had the same employer. Maybe one of your childhood friends has the skill sets you're looking for. It’s always a good idea to try the people you can trust.
Another way is to talk to VC's and get referrals. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, get out there. Meet some people (and specifically, engineers). Attend some events. If you're looking for a place to meet ambitious builders, sign up for Builders Weekend.
As you're going through this extensive search, there's only one type of player that you should be looking for: A-players. They should be talented, hard-working, have a great personality, fun to work with, and be deeply passionate about what you’re building. Your co-founder is also a signal for investors.
If your vision is compelling enough to pull talented people off safer paths, that's something VCs take note of.
Once you prospect people and find them, then it really boils down to your ability to articulate your vision and get people excited to be part of it.
Back to the marriage analogy, the best way to evaluate them is to do “speed dating” early. Do a trial period before formalizing anything. At a minimum, spend a few months working together before giving up equity or setting up the company. Before you raise, investors will want to know how you function as a team.
If one founder has strong domain expertise and the technical role is more of a hire, it's less risky if that CTO doesn't work out. But in a true equal partnership, the trial period matters more.
As a non-technical founder, today you have more leverage than ever before. Today's tools let you build MVPs and mock-ups by yourself. What you're able to accomplish before bringing on a technical co-founder is the highest signal for investors.
Finding a co-founder is not an easy process. You can’t post “I’m hiring” on Linkedin once and call that a search. It can be the difference between creating a unicorn or destroying your business. Do your due diligence and spend the time it takes to find the right one. You’ll be glad you did.
