How I found a startup partner when I had no clue where to look

Photo credit: Felix Russell-Saw.

I had never been able to get into programming, so when I had an idea for an app, I knew I’d need to find a partner who was a developer.

As I was relatively new to the startup world, I didn’t have the necessary connections to have partners and employees lined up when I needed them. That’s why I had no clue where to start looking for a partner.

Hopefully, by telling you a little bit about my journey, you will be able to find a partner as well!

Who needs a partner when there’s Kickstarter

I tossed around the idea for a while, contemplating whether I could raise enough funds on Kickstarter to just hire a developer.

I mapped out a campaign, projected the numbers, and consulted with some “experts” at running Kickstarter campaigns.

To deliver my plans, I had to raise US$100,000. The experts I consulted with informed me that, on average, campaigns that raised US$100,000 (aka the top 1 percent of Kickstarter campaigns) spent around US$10,000 and began preparing at least six months in advance.

This amount was just an average. Of course, you have people who spend nothing on their campaign and people who spend more. Either way, I decided this route wasn’t for me.

I concluded that while Kickstarter may be perfect for launching a tangible product, doing it for a messaging app just wouldn’t be practical, not to mention that a hired developer will never have the same passion as a co-founder.

Someone has to know someone

After ruling out Kickstarter, I began my partner search by pitching my idea to everyone I knew. Then, I would ask them if they knew someone who may be interested.

With such a limited network, I was striking out. Having just half a year under my belt at a startup, I didn’t have the roots to be able to find the right people to talk to.

Tinder for partners

I thought about this for a second, Googled it, then slapped myself in the face and came back to reality.

Co-working spaces connect people

After exhausting my options of reaching out to people, I decided to go to my local co-working space, Radius Cowork, late one Friday evening. My goal was to pitch to my friend Sean to see if he knew anyone who would be interested in my venture.

Sean and I spent about an hour mapping out the entire idea on a whiteboard and throwing ideas back and forth. I could tell he was genuinely intrigued by the idea.

What to pitch to a partner

The meeting

The Decision

Summary