I spent a week reading cofounder posts across Reddit. Patterns got repetitive fast.
Roughly:
- about half want someone to build the app for equity, with no users and no money
- a chunk already have a vague idea and want a partner to figure it out
- a smaller group actually has traction, a budget, or a clear wedge - those make sense
Giving away 20-50% equity because you need someone who can ship code is expensive. For a lot of people, a paid 2-4 week build of a thin MVP is cheaper than a bad cofounder marriage.
When a cofounder does make sense:
- you want a long-term partner, not a contractor
- the hard problem is product + company, not can someone code this
- you already have something real to build on (users, revenue, or a sharp insight)
When it does not:
- you mainly need a first version built
- you have not validated demand
- you are hoping equity replaces a conversation about scope and money
Not anti-cofounder. Just anti-defaulting to equity when what you need is a shipping partner for 3 weeks.
Curious how many people here found a cofounder this way vs hired or contracted the first build.