Comments on: Where do you Find Cofounders? http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/ Everyone needs a hug. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:43:07 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Dipesh Batheja http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/comment-page-1/#comment-20913 Dipesh Batheja Sun, 20 May 2007 14:45:02 +0000 http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/#comment-20913 <p>Finding a co-founder who would want to share the same vision and passion as you is hell of a task. Just to make sure i don't create any restrictions for myself to not do those things which I always wanted to, I decided to get started alone as a freelance web app developer hoping I would find someone along the way and then we will work towards building some product. Now as the clients have started appreciating what I offer and and I am getting projects quiet frequently, I am badly in need of some help. All my friends from college are now finally settling into their jobs and nobody is interested in taking the risk and responsibility of a founder. And hiring someone is not really like getting a cofounder as that guy would never know what it takes to be a founder and probably will not be interested either. But for now the only option seems for me is to hire someone and let see how it goes. And wait for a relationship to develop with someone within my network to a level where we could think of joining hands for working towards a goal.</p> Finding a co-founder who would want to share the same vision and passion as you is hell of a task. Just to make sure i don’t create any restrictions for myself to not do those things which I always wanted to, I decided to get started alone as a freelance web app developer hoping I would find someone along the way and then we will work towards building some product. Now as the clients have started appreciating what I offer and and I am getting projects quiet frequently, I am badly in need of some help. All my friends from college are now finally settling into their jobs and nobody is interested in taking the risk and responsibility of a founder. And hiring someone is not really like getting a cofounder as that guy would never know what it takes to be a founder and probably will not be interested either. But for now the only option seems for me is to hire someone and let see how it goes. And wait for a relationship to develop with someone within my network to a level where we could think of joining hands for working towards a goal.

]]> By: Andy Kant http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/comment-page-1/#comment-19866 Andy Kant Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:41:54 +0000 http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/#comment-19866 <p>Good article. I'd agree with school being a great place to meet people that you might want to found a startup with (or just plain work with for that matter). Reason being, if you went to school with someone, you are probably well aware of their strengths and/or weaknesses as well as how their personality meshes with yours. A side benefit is that at least with my school (I have a BS in Software Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering); any SE that actually endured the extremely difficult program without dropping out can be safely assumed to be an extremely high quality software engineer and I would work with them without knowing much else (if anything) about them.</p> <p>The only weakness of engineers that come out of MSOE is the ego that comes with the degree. ;-)</p> Good article. I’d agree with school being a great place to meet people that you might want to found a startup with (or just plain work with for that matter). Reason being, if you went to school with someone, you are probably well aware of their strengths and/or weaknesses as well as how their personality meshes with yours. A side benefit is that at least with my school (I have a BS in Software Engineering from Milwaukee School of Engineering); any SE that actually endured the extremely difficult program without dropping out can be safely assumed to be an extremely high quality software engineer and I would work with them without knowing much else (if anything) about them.

The only weakness of engineers that come out of MSOE is the ego that comes with the degree. ;-)

]]> By: Kevin Hale http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/comment-page-1/#comment-19854 Kevin Hale Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:49:04 +0000 http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/#comment-19854 <p>Interesting that you didn't mention family, since your other startup founder is your bro and since a lot of businesses out there are family-run businesses. I, personally, could never run a business with my brother, but we are very different from one another.</p> <p>The biggest surprise to me about how we formed is that I never would have thought to start a business until after a relationship and some work was done with the two of you. Ryan, definitely not on first impression. I think a lot people take for granted how much "time" is a big factor in determining a suitable relationship for a startup. You need to spend time with someone to establish respect and compatible working habits.</p> <p>You also need "conflict." If you can't fight with someone constructively without taking it personally, you can't know how things will play out when things get stressful. And there are a ridiculous number of times when you're going to disagree. How you come out of those is incredibly important.</p> Interesting that you didn’t mention family, since your other startup founder is your bro and since a lot of businesses out there are family-run businesses. I, personally, could never run a business with my brother, but we are very different from one another.

The biggest surprise to me about how we formed is that I never would have thought to start a business until after a relationship and some work was done with the two of you. Ryan, definitely not on first impression. I think a lot people take for granted how much “time” is a big factor in determining a suitable relationship for a startup. You need to spend time with someone to establish respect and compatible working habits.

You also need “conflict.” If you can’t fight with someone constructively without taking it personally, you can’t know how things will play out when things get stressful. And there are a ridiculous number of times when you’re going to disagree. How you come out of those is incredibly important.

]]> By: Dr J http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/comment-page-1/#comment-19846 Dr J Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:19:23 +0000 http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/#comment-19846 <p>Friends are great for co-founders but they also can be some of the worst people to work with. I guess it just comes down to picking your friends wisely and picking your cofounders even more wisely.</p> Friends are great for co-founders but they also can be some of the worst people to work with. I guess it just comes down to picking your friends wisely and picking your cofounders even more wisely.

]]> By: Achtentachtig http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/comment-page-1/#comment-19839 Achtentachtig Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:48:00 +0000 http://particletree.com/notebook/where-to-find-a-cofounder/#comment-19839 <p>Makes me wondering why there isn't a web 2.0 network site focused on finding cofounders... Hmm, perhaps I will start one some day. But then I will need to find a cofounder first ;-)</p> Makes me wondering why there isn’t a web 2.0 network site focused on finding cofounders… Hmm, perhaps I will start one some day. But then I will need to find a cofounder first ;-)

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