Such an important yet challenging problem to solve! Pulling this off requires unique access to a curated network of talent so On Deck definitely has a good shot at this. Since the demand for technical co-founders is generally greater, how are you thinking about ensuring their sufficient supply to maintain a good balance on the platform?
@pawelceb Great question. This is definitely a challenge in the cofounder search journey - there tends to be less technical people in matching pools. One of the benefits of opening up this tool to the public is more technical people can get involved. Also, On Deck has an Engineering fellowship coming up so that'll be a way to maintain more of a balance.
@kensavage great question. Completely free to use. The larger goal of this project is to increase the number of startups that exist, but in a more concrete sense the goal is to create a curated & high signal experience for both the On Deck community and vetted external talent. High quality external talent makes the cofounder matching pool more robust, so it can be a big win for the existing On Deck community. Also, if an external person who joins this ends up hitting it off with an ODF or ODX (two On Deck) fellow, they can be considered for acceptance into ODF or ODX.
No has yet cracked co-founder matching at scale. Can speak to the need among deep tech founders: this is a recurring need.
The founder liquidity at On Deck (in the 1000s) gives it an unfair advantage.
@ashwinl so true, Ashwin. We're lucky to have played a small role in the journeys of many founders (https://beondeck.com/outcomes) and hope to do so for many, many more. Productizing venture and entrepreneurship has become a bit of a catchphrase for us ;) lots more to come!
Especially excited about the potential for the tool to help founders in specific sectors / spaces (e.g. deep tech) express their preferences and connect in a high-liquidity forum.
Co-founder matching is an incredibly difficult problem to solve. Thanks to @chance_taken@rishi_tripathy and many others On Deck team putting for our learnings from the last few years into a tool that everyone can use.
@chance_taken@cushmachine Charles - so much of our inspiration has come from the work and thinking you've explored around unlocking the market for solutions - one more Infinity Stone in our gauntlet, so to say...
On Deck has helped hundreds of co-founders find each other and start exciting companies. Now, we want to extend the magic of serendipity to everyone.
Check out our "Cofounder Search" platform to get matched with founders in the On Deck network who are looking for cofounders and founding team members.
The talent pool is curated by On Deck and consists of founders within ODF, the On Deck Community, and vetted external founders.
Can't wait for you to try. Let us know if you have any questions/comments below.
@thisiskp_ KP - appreciate the hunt! We're so excited to be supporting cofounder searchers beyond the On Deck community with this platform. There's been so much learned from our community with regards to "what works" versus not in the earliest stages of starting a company, and our goal is to help spread that engineered serendipity more widely.
If you have any feedback on our platform or ideas for how we can make it better while keeping it curated and high-signal, don't hesitate to let me know!
Finding your co-founder is one of the most crucial stages in your startup journey. Amazing to see On Deck continuing to bet on founders and increasing the startup economy!
Building a good team is the #1 reason that makes or breaks a startup. I've tried platforms like Reddit and some Slack communities but the connections don't always fit right. I like the Tinder like interface that shows what someone has to offer before you start the conversation. Less time wasted for everyone.
I'd be curious to know the success rate - how many teams were formed with this product and how far the products ended up going.
Monster Jump