Desperately Seeking a Co-Founder
Finding a Co-Founder, or even a developer for that matter, can be really tough given your circumstances. There’s no doubt that a ton of extremely talented developers exist out there, but if they’re that talented, their likely busy working on a cool startup themselves or working at a cool company.
Over 10 years ago I made a decision that I regret now, that was to get into advertising/print and not web. It wasn’t cause I believed print was the future, I did it because I had some great contacts, and pretty much guaranteed work if I could figure it out. I took a bunch of Graphic Design and print production courses, and then landed a great job at a cool boutique ad shop.
I continued to play with some web tools and even got into some wysiwyg shit (I know, terrible). I had many ideas for web based apps and enjoyed design and front end, but wanted to connect with someone who could code up some back end. Through some consulting gigs, I started working with and managing some web based projects that were pretty cool but they weren’t exactly my idea and I always wanted to do something of my own.
Finally, I met my match. When you’re looking for a Co-Founder, you better treat this somewhat like a marriage. You need to click and share the same values. You’ll be going through good times and bad times, through sickness and in health. You have to pretty much love each other and support each other as best you can. Becoming friends… even better.
The reason this is so important is, you’re likely going to be working with each other shoulder to shoulder, for very long periods of time. Your significant others may even be jealous because of all the time you’re spending with your business partner. Make sure you share similar goals and passions. The roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship is a crazy and emotional time that only the strong will survive.
So, don’t jump into things. Maybe start with a small project and see how it goes. Also, know that everyone isn’t wired the same way and may not have “it”. By “it” I mean founders DNA. You’ve either got it or you don’t in my opinion and if one of you does and the other doesn’t, tread lightly. Also, although awkward, discuss the equity breakdown of your venture and whether you’ll open source it or not. Last but not least, always be straight up and speak your mind.
