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Welcome back to The Startup Leap Newsletter #17 - #RealTalk #RealLessons From Founders Who Took The Startup Leap 🚀

💡 This week, we’re diving into one of the biggest early decisions: how to find the right co-founder - and what that actually looks like.

Forget the glossy “we just clicked” stories.

From Seyi at Gravity Sketch, who met his co-founder on Upwork, to the Luna founders who teamed up during their MBA at Oxford, to the Rulebase duo who connected through X threads - this episode breaks down the unexpected, real-life ways founders find the right person to build with.

Because the right co-founder isn’t just about skillset - it’s about shared conviction, trust, and figuring it out together.

In this episode, we break down:

• What really makes a great co-founder match - and why it’s not just about complementary skills (00:00:54),
  

• The unconventional ways founders actually meet - from Upwork (Gravity Sketch) and Twitter (Rulebase) to Oxford MBAs (Luna) and family ties (Marshmellow) (00:04:50),
  

• Why your next co-founder might be a rival, ex-boss or someone you cold emailed (00:10:58),

….and so much more!

Key takeaways:

TL;DR:

• Start with Who You Know: Your co-founder might be a friend, sibling, ex-boss or uni mate. Don’t overlook familiar faces - just test for skill fit and shared conviction.
  

• Look in Unexpected Places: From Upwork to X to Kaggle – real co-founders are meeting in niche online communities and co-founder platforms like YC and EF.
  

• Shoot Your Shot: Cold emails, rivals, even angel investors can become co-founders. Test the relationship with a small project before going all in.

• 💡 Your Co-founder Is Likely Already in Your Network (00:01:01)
  
  Maria and Yvonne start with the most overlooked truth: your ideal co-founder might already be someone you know - just not in a business context yet.
  
  Most founders don’t realise this because they filter people based on current roles, not hidden potential.
  
  Here’s what to look for:
  

  • Complementary skills: Don’t rule someone out just because they’re a friend or sibling.
    
    Marshmellow’s twin co-founders had never built a company together before, but they’d worked on smaller projects and knew how to collaborate.
    

  • Shared context: Co-founders like Luna’s Jo and Jas met during their MBA at Oxford - the shared experience gave them a head start in trust and communication.
    

  • Unexpected allies: One founder teamed up with her former boss to spin out a new venture. Another started something with their parent.

    Audit your network. Look at old colleagues, uni mates, even past managers.
    
    Who shares your passion? Who balances your strengths? Don’t assume they need to be “startup ready” - they might grow into it with you.
    
    

• 🛠️ Go Beyond LinkedIn – Founders Are Meeting in Niche Communities (00:04:50)
  
  Forget big networking events.
  
  Many modern co-founders are meeting in unexpected digital spaces.
  

  Our hosts share examples that prove your co-founder could be one DM away:

  • Seyi from Gravity Sketch met his technical co-founder through Upwork.
    
    What started as a freelance gig turned into a decade-long partnership.
    

  • Rulebase’s founders connected on X, bonding over threads about problems they were both passionate about solving.
    

  • Maria and Yvonne’s first interaction? Also on X - proof that real rapport can start with one message.
    
    

  They also shout out Reddit, Kaggle (for data science talent), and co-founder matching tools like YC’s platform or Entrepreneur First - all real-world places founders are connecting today.
  
  

• 📉 Cold Emails, Angel Intros and Rivalries Can Lead to Co-founder Gold (00:10:58)
  
  Sometimes the best co-founder matches start in ways that feel bold or unexpected.

  
  The Bumble founder received a cold message from the Badoo founder – and that turned into one of the most successful dating apps globally.

  
  One founder cold emailed a scientist they admired from a distance – and ended up convincing them to co-found a deeptech startup together.

  
  Gabriel Shin, from Landscape VC, started as an angel investor in a company before joining as a full-time co-founder.
  
  Don’t wait to “organically” meet the perfect co-founder.
  
  Reach out to people whose thinking or skillset complements yours. Test the relationship with a side project.
  
  Clashing isn’t always a red flag - it can be the spark.
  

Want to hear more? Dive into the full conversation on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

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Resources to help you take the Leap📚

🎯𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 Guide

🚀The Tech Nation UK AI Sector Spotlight 2025

📚Foundervine: Founders Connect Programme in collaboration with LSE

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TSL Team 💜