How are people officially engaging with co-founders they decide to work with?
Once people find a co-founder they want to work with, how do they "officially" start collaborating and building?
Are you going to lawyers or finding templates online?
Curious to know what the go-to is.
1 answer:
No matter the route, make sure equity is on a vesting schedule with a 1-year cliff. That way if someone bails after 3 months, they don’t walk with half the company.
Anyway, Most people start informally: test the partnership with small projects, weekly check-ins, and shared goals.
When things get serious, they either: Use a template (like YC’s or Clerky) Or hire a startup lawyer (especially if raising funds)
Simple Co-Founder Agreement Template This Co-Founder Agreement is made between:
Founder 1: [Your Full Name]
Founder 2: [Co-Founder's Full Name]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Purpose The founders agree to collaborate on building and launching a business named [Startup Name], focused on [brief description of the business idea].
Equity Split Equity will be split as follows:
Founder 1: [X]%
Founder 2: [X]%
- Vesting Schedule Equity for each founder will vest over 4 years with a 1-year cliff, starting from the Effective Date of this agreement.
If a founder leaves before 12 months, they earn 0% equity.
After 12 months, equity vests monthly over the next 36 months.
This ensures ongoing contribution and alignment.
- Roles & Responsibilities Each founder agrees to contribute meaningfully to the business and take ownership of agreed-upon roles. Initial roles:
Founder 1: [e.g., Operations, Sales, Product]
Founder 2: [e.g., Tech, Marketing, Finance]
IP & Confidentiality All intellectual property, work, and data created for the business belongs to [Startup Name], not any individual founder. Both parties agree to keep company info confidential.
Dispute Resolution Any disagreements will first be handled by internal discussion. If unresolved, a neutral third-party advisor or mediator will be used before legal action.
Signed,
[Founder 1 Name & Signature] Date: _____________
[Founder 2 Name & Signature] Date: _____________