How Two Co-Founders Found Each Other
Surprisingly, seeking out your co-founder can be a lot like the dating world. Just ask Rebekah Bastian and Kt McBratney, Co-founders of OwnTrail. The two went on their first "friend date" in 2019 after attending the same networking event and feeling like there was a possibility for a career connection somewhere in the works. It wasn't long after the two grabbed coffee that they joined forces to begin the branding and ultimate launch of OwnTrail - a way for women to support one another as they blaze their own career trails, however that may be.
But first, Rebekah and Kt have five tips and a couple of resources they recommend to anyone embarking on a co-founder search.
Just like there's no one right path through life, there's more than one side to every story. As the cofounders of OwnTrail — the platform for women to visualize and navigate their paths through life — we couldn't think of a more authentic way to share our co-founder origin story than through both our voices, individually yet together.
5 Tips to Finding the Right Co-founder
Be open. Even if you know exactly what you're looking for, you never know when the right person or opportunity may be in front of you.
Make the ask! The answer is definitely no if you never ask the question.
Look for complementary skills and aligned values.
Identify your non-negotiables — and communicate them early and often.
Talk equity. We used this startup equity calculator to help guide our conversation around co-founder equity.
Resources
OwnTrail (37% of trails have a "start a company" milestone!)
Rebekah Bastian, OwnTrail Co-founder
Rebekah Bastian:
I had the idea for OwnTrail in July of 2019. Having recently signed a book contract for Blaze Your Own Trail - An Interactive Guide to Navigating life with Confidence, Solidarity, and Compassion, with Berrett-Koeher Publishers, I started thinking about building a cool book launch platform. After a series of aha moments, I soon realized the need for women to see the authentic journeys of others and own their stories, not just as an act of inspiration but as an act of rebellion. Not long after, the idea for that platform soon morphed into the vision for what is now OwnTrail.
As I started working on OwnTrail, having pulled in two engineers, a designer, and our first advisor, I knew I wanted a cofounder. It was clear to me right away how lonely the entrepreneurial journey can be. And beyond that, I knew there was an additional, critical skill set that we'd need to succeed.
I have a background in creating amazing products and leading value-driven cultures. But no matter how incredible of a product you build, it only matters if people know about it. I knew I needed to find someone who could create both a far-reaching brand and a powerful community in an authentic and inclusive way. I also knew that I hadn't met the right person for that... yet.
About a month after bringing the initial OwnTrail team together, I popped by a networking event to talk to my friend Sarah Lacy. She was writing the forward to my book, and I needed to chat with her about a few details. That's where I met Kt. Ironically, she almost didn't come to the event, but after moving to Seattle the year before and still searching for "her people," she decided to attend. I couldn't stay long but gave her my business card because she mentioned wanting to talk to corporate DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) leaders, which I was doing at the time.
Shortly after that fateful night, Kt sent me an email asking me out on a friend date. She said she thought I seemed cool and wondered if I wanted to grab a coffee. I love when people do that!
We had a fantastic coffee date, and I told her more about my thoughts for OwnTrail. She totally got it. I barely knew her, but I had a feeling she might be the exact cofounder for me. Over a subsequent lunch, I told her that I thought she would be an amazing cofounder. I asked if she would be interested in advising for a while to see how we worked together. She agreed, and we did that for a couple of months before meeting up one evening for drinks to discuss if we wanted to take the plunge!
Kt McBratney, OwnTrail Co-founder
Kt McBratney:
By 2019, I knew my next professional step would be entrepreneurial. I was nearly 15 years into my career but only a few years into working for companies whose values aligned with mine. I had reached a point where I was ready to step out of the shadows to loudly lead something that would positively impact the world. And yet, I had no specific idea of what that was. I had plenty of ideas of what that could be, but none of them were "it". I also had an 8-month-old at home and was still very much figuring out the whole working parent thing. I wasn't looking for a new job or a cofounder. Quite simply, I was looking for the right possibility. So I stayed with the team I loved, waiting until I figured the "it" out to make a move.
I met Rebekah at a women's networking event in Seattle that I'd seriously considered bailing on due to the previously mentioned 8-month old at home. She introduced herself as an exec at a well-known tech company, mother, and aerial acrobat without batting an eye. That moment was the breath of fresh air I'd been waiting for.
We chatted briefly, exchanged business cards, and that was that. Except that wasn't that. I had that feeling. The one you get when you meet 'your people' — that little bit of sparkle that comes when you can talk about 18 different things simultaneously, and both get it. So I drafted up an email asking her on a friend date (I'm 99% sure I used that exact phrase, too!). I knew she must get tons of these requests from people wanting to pick her brain, "make connections," or find a mentor, so I was a bit surprised when she said yes. But even more so when our coffee date went better than I had expected. She mentioned an idea for a platform inspired by the book she wrote, and it just made perfect sense to me right away.
Over the next few weeks, Rebekah told me about wanting a cofounder for the platform and that she thought I might be a good fit. I was caught slightly off guard. I knew there were risks involved, not just because every startup is a risk, but because we barely knew each other! And yet, I also felt it in my gut that we'd make great partners with the ability to build an amazing idea. She had deep experience in product and team-building, and I was in marketing and early-stage startups. We complemented one another, bringing diverse backgrounds and traits to the table. We also both care deeply about women rising up against and despite the systems holding us back.
It was decided; I'd start by joining the team as an advisor to see how we worked together. From there, we would more deeply discuss her vision, the business structure, and my list of 'dealbreakers'. Despite the many decisions we had to make, we found ourselves hitting one green light after another with each other. We're both so glad we had those conversations, sharing our thoughts and expectations honestly, up-front. It not only cemented authenticity as a foundation for our partnership and OwnTrail but allowed us to get very clear on what kind of company each of us wanted to build and why.
Within a few short months, Rebekah and I went from being complete strangers to cofounders and friends, all because of an authentic introduction. Two years after that event that we both nearly skipped, and we've built a platform where every woman can be her authentic self and find her people. Where there's no one right path, just yours.
