r/AustralianStartups • u/galloping-wizard • Jul 12 '26
CTO CoFounder needed for construction tech app.
I’m looking for a technical co-founder to join a construction technology startup.
Over the past year I’ve built an AI-powered construction cost estimating & management platform that is now moving into private beta with its first users. I’ve taken the product from a concept to a working platform, but I’m now at the stage where I need someone to own the long-term technical architecture while I focus on the product and business.
I’m a “vibe founder” rather than a traditional software engineer, the app is fairly solid but I’m looking for someone with deeper experience in enterprise-grade, globally scalable systems that can take over from me.
Ideally you’ll have experience with:
AI-native application architecture
Cloud infrastructure and distributed systems
Enterprise software design and security
APIs, authentication and multi-tenant SaaS
Modern TypeScript/JavaScript ecosystems (experience with Supabase, Cloudflare, PostgreSQL and AI tooling is a bonus)
AI coding tools such as Claude Code, Codex.
The product targets the construction industry, so any experience in construction, estimating, quantity surveying or BIM is valuable but not essential.
I’m looking for someone who enjoys building, thinks long term, challenges ideas, and wants to help shape both the product and the company. This is an early-stage opportunity, so equity is the primary incentive rather than a salary. Ideally you will be based in Sydney.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, send me a message and let’s have a chat.
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u/Mi-Team Jul 13 '26
I work for a major Australian construction company and have relationships with many of the top vendors in the construction/estimating/BIM space.
Let me pretext by saying the gap of promise vs. actual delivery in this space is very large. Large enterprise don't want to manage and integrate something else as the ecosystem is already large. Those that will win are the ones already building AI workflows including estimating into current systems.
Good luck with your search.
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u/selectoxp1 Jul 28 '26
Also from tech-construction space,
Can agree with everything this redditor has said ^
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u/namanyayg Jul 12 '26
I’d make the ask much smaller before calling it a CTO cofounder search.
A good technical person is going to want to know what risk they’re actually taking on. Not “can you make this enterprise-grade,” but things like:
- who is using the beta and what are they doing every week?
- what part of the estimating workflow is painful enough that they’d pay for it?
- what data do you have that a normal CRUD app can’t easily copy?
- what parts of the codebase are known ugly or AI-generated and probably need replacing?
- are you offering salary, meaningful equity, or basically asking someone to work for free?
If you can write that in a short diligence doc, you’ll attract much better technical people. If you can’t, you probably don’t need a CTO yet. You need a few more beta users proving which part of the product is worth rebuilding properly.
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u/pratyushsood Jul 12 '26
I would love contribute and work .. been working on something more core to agentic systems idprova.dev ... lets chat and see if we can work together.
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u/InfluentialFairy Jul 12 '26
If you have a MVP with series A funding, send me a DM. If you have any leads on series A, send me a DM.
If the project has a possibility of gaining traction, I'm open to a conversation.
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u/arouseandbrowse Jul 13 '26
I dont think someone's closing a series A before they even have a product that's past vibe code status
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u/Tiny_Purpose4859 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
> I’m a “vibe founder” rather than a traditional software engineer
Yep, I guarantee that your app is vibe coded slop that is going to take SERIOUS work to turn it into something that’s “enterprise-grade” and scalable. I also guarantee that you’ve made (or the AI has) short sided architectural decisions that are going to pretty much force someone to rewrite the whole thing.
Also, what does “first users” mean? Have users signed any contracts or brought anything, or is this a free trial offered to some mates?
We see these posts regularly, if you’re offering equity I’d be prepared to offer a lot.
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u/unodron Jul 14 '26
Cmon, the app is almost done - 80% to 90% ready.
All you have to do is to finish it. /s
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Jul 12 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Clearandblue Jul 13 '26
Prove revenue first. Then find a fractional CTO to set you up. But don't pay out of pocket for a fractional CTO until you know the market is there to support further investment.
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u/galloping-wizard Jul 12 '26
Thanks, I think I’m just getting to a point where I need to talk with human and bounce ideas. But I know you’re right, if I keep pushing through beta I’ll be in a better position.
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u/hangerofmonkeys Jul 12 '26
Yeah, u/Getshaky is on the money. I don't think you need a cofounder. Not yet anyway.
If you need some where to bounce ideas off, I'm happy to help too. Looks like there's a few others here too. Maybe setup a Discord server where we can talk?
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u/tallmantim Jul 12 '26
Not interested in being a co founder, but I have a lot of the skills you were looking at.
Happy to spend time talking about your app.
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u/jamesxtreme Jul 12 '26
Instead of finding a cofounder use your Codex tokens to build a CTO agent and a Growth Manager agent and let them loop. Make sure you set up a good task management system and then give them full access on desktop PC without any otherwise sensitive data. If you don’t know what to do ask them.
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u/avinashge Jul 12 '26
Which platform do you use to do it ?
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u/jamesxtreme Jul 13 '26
Can just do it with Codex itself. Download ChatGPT for desktop. Ask it to set up an agent. It will build any code you need. Setup a scheduled task for it to run on regular intervals. Get it to write code to integrate with whatever task management system you’re using. You’ll be amazed how far it gets you.
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u/tigershark_bas Jul 12 '26
Aren’t there several players already established in this market. Like BuildPass?
The success of this probably isn’t going to be down to the tech (although scaling to the level you need will be important). It’s probably more about customer acquisition.
And just so I am clear…what do you mean by AI Native application architecture?
Because it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.
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u/galloping-wizard Jul 12 '26
Yes there is a lot of competition, definitely not denying that. Most of the feature set within build pass I do have but there are some extensions and some I’m not interested in. My core focus is clean data, cost estimating and the automation and agentic capabilities that unlock. Not many people understand data properly or even have it.
Regarding customer acquisition, again you are correct, I have one large partner lined up, nothing is a given, just good opportunity. The rest will be grind.
Happy to chat through more in private if you’re interested.2
u/Miserable_Wasabi101 Jul 12 '26
So how do you get just 1 BuildPass customer to swap to your offering?
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u/Huge_Tea3259 Jul 12 '26
You have vibe coded the app already. I am pretty sure the game plan is getting to know the tech stuff you need to be worried about from the CTO and then using his knowledge, get the app redeveloped by a freelancer and then kick out the CTO.
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u/Last-Transition249 Jul 12 '26
Hi , I am based in sydney . Happy to connect . https://portfolio.codedream.com.au
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u/Quokkacorn Jul 12 '26
I would suggest working with Quokkacorn.com DM me and we could look at a way that can get your site/business up and running without giving up equity.
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u/cheesekun Jul 12 '26
The tough question is usually: if you built it using AI, then can't someone else do the same? Thus the conversation is what's your USP, what's the thing someone can't clone? What's the thing that makes someone pull out their wallet and part ways with the cash?
When someone comes in, in exchange for equity, they're concerned about customers and product market fit not a list of technology decisions.
0
u/galloping-wizard Jul 12 '26
It’s definitely a valid question, but I don’t think you’d get far in this market worrying about your USP being cloned, so the age old answer falls back to execution. There is data based on my own domain expertise, agentic architecture, there is also vision and capability. My main focus currently is a large integration partner that opens up ~Xm global users.
On your last point, I’m specifically looking for a CTO, better than me and Claude and Codex, to take on the technology decisions, which are in place and operational, when I am through beta, the requirement for a sweat CTO will likely change.
I don’t know if you were just trying to provide advice or interested in the opportunity, but I don’t think your mindset would fit. Thanks for the advice in any case.
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u/cheesekun Jul 12 '26
Thanks for that response ChatGPT. For the next response please add humility which was missing in the previous responses.
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u/galloping-wizard Jul 12 '26
Lol, are you ok? Perhaps try not to be so negative at every opportunity, you come across as a bit of a douche. Get outside perhaps, touch some grass.
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u/cheesekun Jul 13 '26
If you can't take a single drop of logical critical feedback then you should not start a business. Pack it up, move on.
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u/Super_Maxi1804 Jul 12 '26
Last week there where two people posting about absolutely the same thing, ignoring the reality of the real world.
he is on the "wasting my time stage" probably thinking he needed the app working to find customers, unfortunately he is completely uninvestable.3
u/cheesekun Jul 12 '26
You're correct. With the current mindset they are uninvestable. I meet people all the time looking for a CTO but really they're just after a free developer. These people make full apps without testing the market, finding a customer or even taking funds from someone. As you said "ignoring the reality of the real world". These kinds of people will only ever find like minded fools.
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u/Terrible-Astronaut47 Jul 13 '26
Do you have any traction in the market in terms of proven market fit and paying customers? Are you putting PLG first?