Building alone is the loneliest mistake in startups. Here’s where to look.
Most investors prefer teams of two or three. More resilience, broader skills, someone to argue with productively at midnight when things aren’t working. Going solo is possible, but harder. If you’re looking for a co-founder, start looking before you think you need one.
YC Co-Founder Matching is the largest platform in the world for this, with over 100,000 matches made. YC (Y Combinator) is a US-based startup accelerator, you don’t need to be applying to their programme to use the matching tool. It’s free, your profile is private (only visible to other approved users). Create a profile, describe what you’re looking for, and start matching.
Beyond YC: accelerator cohorts (structured programmes that take a group of startups through the same intensive period at the same time) are full of people building alongside you. Startup events and meetups (in-person is better for this than online). LinkedIn, if you’re specific about what you’re looking for. And your extended network: former colleagues, university connections, people you’ve worked with on side projects.
Complementary skills first. If you’re technical, find someone who can sell. If you can sell, find someone who can build. Shared values second. You need to agree on how hard to work, how to make decisions, and what success looks like. The ability to disagree well is the most underrated co-founder skill.
Work on a small project together for two to four weeks. See how you communicate under pressure. See if you enjoy the work. A bad co-founder relationship is worse than no co-founder at all.
What good looks like: Two founders who met through YC matching, spent a month working on a prototype together, had three genuine disagreements during that time and resolved all of them, then decided to formalise with a shareholders agreement and vesting schedule (a structure where founders earn their shares over time, so nobody walks away with a big chunk of the company after a few months).
Once you've found someone, sort the legal foundations early. See our guide on legal foundations.
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This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Always do your own research and seek independent professional advice.