Finding a co-founder starts with understanding what the business needs and what you can contribute. A shared idea is a beginning; a working relationship also needs trust, clear expectations and a way to make decisions together.
Describe the gap before looking for a title
“Looking for a technical co-founder” is less informative than describing the problem, the people affected, what you have learned and the technical questions still open. The same applies when a developer is looking for a business co-founder. Explain the contribution you need rather than assuming that a title defines the work.
Prepare a short brief: the customer or user, the problem, what exists today, what you have tested, your own contribution and the next decision. Be honest about time, budget and uncertainty. You can discuss a problem without disclosing confidential material in a public group.
Choose where to meet people
Founder communities, relevant professional groups and co-founder platforms are different ways to start conversations. Y Combinator has a dedicated co-founder matching platform; check its current participation terms directly. Suvano is independent of YC.
Suvano Club starts with personal conversations about ideas and skills. It does not currently offer automatic matching or a public member directory. A useful introduction requires actual interested people, with their consent before contact details or project information are shared.
Questions for a first conversation
- Why does this problem matter to you, and what have you already tried?
- What work would you like to own, and where do you need help?
- What time can you realistically contribute?
- How do you prefer to make decisions and handle disagreement?
- What evidence would make you change the idea or stop?
- What do you expect regarding compensation, ownership and future commitment?
You do not need to settle everything in one meeting. You do need to notice when two people are assuming different things about the same project.
Explore working together before making a commitment
Consider a small, mutually agreed learning exercise, such as reviewing a prototype or designing a customer interview plan. Define its purpose, responsibilities and limits. Do not use a trial as a way to obtain unpaid commercial deliverables. If there is commercial work to do, agree appropriate terms first.
Afterwards, discuss what happened: did both people follow through, communicate clearly and respond to new evidence? Deciding not to become co-founders can be a useful outcome. This guide is a conversation aid, not legal advice or a partnership agreement; obtain suitable professional advice for binding arrangements.
Can Suvano become a co-founder?
For selected ideas, Suvano can explore becoming a co-building or co-founding partner, bringing an agreed combination of research, design, websites, technology and marketing. Selection is mutual, and contributions, responsibilities, ownership and compensation are discussed before work begins.
DUOVÉ is a separate partner business in development that began through the Club. Its story explains one relationship; it does not establish standard terms for other ventures. Tell us about your idea and contribution to begin an exploratory conversation.