From Strangers to Co-Founders: Our Story

Eight months ago, James and I were complete strangers. Today, we just closed our $2M seed round. Here's our story.

The Match

I was a backend engineer tired of building other people's products. James was a sales leader at a Fortune 500 company, itching to start something of his own. Eigen connected us based on our complementary skills and shared interest in B2B SaaS.

The First Coffee

Our first meeting was a video call that was supposed to last 30 minutes. It went on for three hours. We didn't just talk about startup ideas — we talked about values, work ethic, and what success looked like for each of us.

The Trial Period

We spent six weeks working on a prototype together before making any commitments. This trial period was invaluable — it showed us how we handle deadlines, disagreements, and the inevitable moments of doubt.

The Commitment

After the trial, the decision was easy. We formally committed, incorporated, and started building full-time. Six months later, we had a working product, 50 beta users, and investor interest.

Lessons Learned

1. Don't rush the courting phase
2. Be radically transparent from day one
3. Complementary skills matter more than shared interests
4. The best partnerships are built on mutual respect, not friendship