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You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

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Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#91

Post by eloff »

codesushi42 wrote: post #77
nl wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Successful single founders are very rare. It's unclear they are remarkably more rare than other types. The data appears to show that single founders are the second most successful arrangement after pairs. https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/26/co-founders-optional/

Second most doesn't mean anything when you're talking about three arrangements, realistically. I would like it to be true that solo founders have just as much chance of success. I have been unable to find a cofounder for years, and I am not biased against solo companies. People are unpredictable, and even wildly successful companies have some disheartening back stories. I've learned that from books like Idea Man (Mic…

You just dismissed the data and replaced it with nothing of substance. Forget your feelings and look at the data, single founders are successful especially when you're talking about smaller companies that might not go the VC route. VCs are really only interested in companies that have a shot at being unicorns.

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#92

Post by friendscallmejw »

As someone with two acquisitions under their belt (now technically three since IBM acquired Red Hat, though I wasn't part of that deal in any significant capacity) I can say that the next time I look for a cofounder, I'm going straight to the YC Startup School directory.

Nothing like a cofounder with no real world experience, YC level entitlement, and a history of running/failing out of an overcapitalized tech-startup.

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#93

Post by claudiulodro »

So, the part I don't get is how you need to have already started working on your startup to get access to the directory. Like, if you find a co-founder on it, won't one or both of the founders have to shut down their start up to work together?

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#94

Post by davidw »

matz1 wrote: post #71
davidw wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't have first hand experience, but my impression is that the best co-founders are those who you've got some history with, who you know and trust. That doesn't happen overnight. Kind of like an actual dating site might be a good way to meet potential marriage partners, but you'd look at someone pretty weird if you went on a date and they suggested they want to get married right away. But who knows; those guys see…

The same way you use dating site to make that initial connection for that history to begin with. Dating site doesn't imply anything regarding having to get married right away. Its simply a medium for that initial connection, that's it.

I think most people interested in starting a company have a different time frame in mind than people who are dating.

But who knows... I'd be curious to see actual data rather than supposing.

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#95

Post by bradam »

ekc wrote: post #6

"Cofounder dating" is a bad idea. Cofounders should be friends before starting the company. - pg https://twitter.com/paulg/status/852493839176785921

Adding an opposite view, Noam Wassermann in his book "The Founder's Dilemmas"[1] concluded after analysing loads of startups that weak links or acquaintances (friends of friends or persons in the same community) are better co-founders.

Doing business (especially a high-risk, high-stress startup) with friends can lead to the elephant in the room effect when in the long term the founders focus on preserving their relationship thus avoiding the friction.

Side note: the author is a teacher, not a serial entrepreneur where one of Aristotle's quote hold its water: “Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.”

[1] https://www.entrepreneurship.org/learning-paths/founders-dil...

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#96

Post by [deleted] »

davidw wrote: post #94
matz1 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same way you use dating site to make that initial connection for that history to begin with. Dating site doesn't imply anything regarding having to get married right away. Its simply a medium for that initial connection, that's it.

I think most people interested in starting a company have a different time frame in mind than people who are dating. But who knows... I'd be curious to see actual data rather than supposing.

[deleted]

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#97

Post by KirinDave »

kevin wrote: post #10
ekc wrote: post #6

"Cofounder dating" is a bad idea. Cofounders should be friends before starting the company. - pg https://twitter.com/paulg/status/852493839176785921

Startup School is a good way to start finding a friend with similar interests. You gotta start somewhere. - Kevin (YC Partner / Startup School Instructor/Host)

"And also we gotta make a living keeping the impression we add value alive and fresh."

- Dave, Post-Exist Technical Cofounder, Senior Engineer and Manager Being Honest About Their Opinion Of Kevin's Credibility On This Subject.

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#98

Post by matz1 »

davidw wrote: post #94
matz1 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same way you use dating site to make that initial connection for that history to begin with. Dating site doesn't imply anything regarding having to get married right away. Its simply a medium for that initial connection, that's it.

I think most people interested in starting a company have a different time frame in mind than people who are dating. But who knows... I'd be curious to see actual data rather than supposing.

I'm not quite sure what your point is. You said "best co-founders are those who you've got some history with, who you know and trust. That doesn't happen overnight"

I agree but then how do you start it in the first place ? Isn't the point of startup school or dating school is to connect people and then from that, over time you can build that history and trust and then use that as consideration whether you want them as your co-founder ?

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#99

Post by davidw »

matz1 wrote: post #98
davidw wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think most people interested in starting a company have a different time frame in mind than people who are dating. But who knows... I'd be curious to see actual data rather than supposing.

I'm not quite sure what your point is. You said "best co-founders are those who you've got some history with, who you know and trust. That doesn't happen overnight" I agree but then how do you start it in the first place ? Isn't the point of startup school or dating school is to connect people and then from that, over time you can build that history and trust and then use that as consideration whether you want them a…

Is that what YC has observed?

My theory is that people are looking for people to start a company with ASAP, rather than 4-5 years in the future after they've worked together for a while.

But I could be wrong.

Re: You can now use YC's Startup School directory to find a cofounder

#100

Post by codesushi42 »

eloff wrote: post #91
codesushi42 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second most doesn't mean anything when you're talking about three arrangements, realistically. I would like it to be true that solo founders have just as much chance of success. I have been unable to find a cofounder for years, and I am not biased against solo companies. People are unpredictable, and even wildly successful companies have some disheartening back stories. I've learned that from books like Idea Man (Mic…

You just dismissed the data and replaced it with nothing of substance. Forget your feelings and look at the data, single founders are successful especially when you're talking about smaller companies that might not go the VC route. VCs are really only interested in companies that have a shot at being unicorns.

What data? OP's link is a silly TC article without any negative examples (failure rates of single vs pairs).
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