Comment by igor_ryabenkiy
Comment by igor_ryabenkiy 2 hours ago
I’m a VC, not a founder, but I’ve seen a lot of what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to finding a co-founder.
Here are three pieces of advice I'd share:
1. Do not search for a cofounder in the abstract. Instead, start by pulling people into the problem. Look at your users or advisors. Pay attention during early user interviews: if someone starts offering unsolicited feedback, reframes your thinking, or shows a natural ownership instinct, that might be your person.
2. Do not underestimate technical people with storytelling skills and user empathy. Not all GTM leaders come from sales.
3. Before formalizing anything, align with your co-founder on three fronts: what you're building (make sure you're on the same page here) + your roles and decision-making + equity and commitments. Bring in a third party if needed and write things down.
Thanks, this is genuinely helpful framing. We made the mistake of thinking in “roles” (GTM cofounder) instead of pulling people into the problem and watching for ownership.
We’re now doing short problem interviews with early users / people who engaged deeply with our Show HN, and tracking who (1) reframes the problem, (2) proposes concrete next steps, and (3) follows up unprompted. Those are strong signals.
Also +1 on the “technical storyteller” point our ideal partner might be technical but customer-obsessed rather than a traditional sales profile.
One question: when you’ve seen this work best, what’s a good lightweight way to test alignment/commitment before talking equity (e.g., a 2-4 week project sprint, shared doc, pre-defined milestones)?