Navigating the Early Stages of Business Formation and Partnering Up

Who are we?

Jon is a Web Designer and Developer in Chicago. Justin is a Product Manager and Podcaster from Canada. 

How did we meet?

We met in 2014 at XOXO in Portland. At the end of the festival, we said to each other: “We should build something together someday.” 

How do you find a cofounder?

• Go to events!
• Build your own projects: make stuff, tell people.
• Build long-term relationships (“I’m never going to team up with someone I just met”)

What should you look for in a cofounder?

• Complimentary skills
• They should have their own network
• Trustworthy
• Positivity
• Values 

What we urge you to do

• Sign real legal documents!
• Use Stripe Atlas
• Be really up-front about:
  • Your values
  • Your aspirations: what are you trying to get out of this?
• Talk to a lawyer

Show notes

• Blackbox
• The Chicago Podcast Cooperative
• XOXO Festival
• Chase Reeves
• Marketing for Developers
• Sprintly
• Product People
• The Good News Podcast
• Transistor.fm
• Stripe Atlas
• Cards Against Humanity's Max Temkin
• 500 Startups Legal Documents
• How I Built This Podcast
• Transistor.fm on Instagram
• Transistor.fm on Twitter

• Rewardful.com
• Greg Park
• Mitchell Davis from sixsides.co
• Marcel Fahle, wearebold.af
• Bill Condo (@mavrck)
• Ward from MemberSpace.com
• Evandro Sasse
• Austin Loveless
• Michael Sitver
• Colin Gray
• Dave Giunta

🎙️ Podcast hosting is provided by Transistor.fm.
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