A good team with a good execution vastly outweigh any good business ideas. However, I cannot seem to find a similarly driven person from my colleagues, ex-colleagues, Uni alumni or family members. They may not necessarily reject the idea, but they are not a good fit as they are content with their current lifestyle and career.
I am aware of the common suggestions like networking events, incubator programs, etc. But getting a cofounder on board is like a 'marriage'. To engage someone whom I do not know well, sounds counter-intuitive.
What are your thoughts on continuing to find a co-founder, or simply focus on the business? To provide more context, I am a single-person bootstrapped startup with paid freelancers only.
I always recommend to continue working on the business in parallel with keeping an eye out for a cofounder. As you continue to move forward, it will become easier to get others interested and passionate about joining you.
Keep potential cofounders that you may have already met updated on progress, so that they can see you're not just someone with a good idea, you're driven to implement it too. As they see you continue to make progress they will become increasingly interested in joining and helping you, as they see the potential develop, and what's clear in your eyes becomes more clear in theirs.
Also, as you continue to build the startup, you will continue to iterate and validate it, and you'll get better at understanding and presenting to others its core exciting features / values, which will further help you pitch it to potential cofounders.
Best of luck, and feel free to let me know if you'd like to discuss this or any other aspects of your startup in more detail
Lee
Hi,
Based on the intellectual way you worded your question, it seems like you already know the answer :-)
Although a team is important, it isn't everything, and if you prove that your venture is doing well/has potential (traction, profits, conversion etc...), you shouldn't have any problems.
Co-founders are like romantic relationship - keep looking (without it being an issue), eventually you'll find the right one.
To improve your chances, try focus on forums/meetups and the various other platforms which focus specifically on your field and/or the startup lifestyle, as this will increase the chances of success.
I've successfully helped over 300 entrepreneurs and would be happy to help you if you need any assistance.
Good luck
Continue working on your startup. Finding a co-founder is over rated and doesn't solve any problems. Believe in attraction vs increasing the risk and waste in your startup by looking for a co-founder.
I would rather suggest you continue working on the startup. However, the idea of a co-founder is really great and useful especially if you are handicapped in any of the technological or other areas of expertise that is necessary for the growth of your startup. Do not rush to find a co-founder now, but you will get the right person at the right time provided you do all the necessary things with persistence.
To demonstrate, in my company we are four partners with two founding members and two other partners who joined the team in the third year and in the fifth year. All you need is a proper growth strategy in place and follow it. Let me know if I could help you in any way.
You will find a lot of people in your circle who might like the idea of starting something. But only small fraction is willing to make the leap. A number of things need to go right to find a cofounder on an existing startup.
There is number of avenues outside of your immediate circle you can look for potential partners. I just wrote an article as I get this question from entrepreneurs a lot. Here is the link . https://www.ajiabraham.com/how-recruit-developers-equity-startup/
Having a partner is good thing. But not mandatory. As you are already building your startup, keep going. The more you progress the probability of finding cofounder also increases.
