It would be really great if there was a single place to go where you could find an amazing selection of cofounders. These cofounders would all be smarter than you, more motivated, and better at getting things done. They’d instantly make your idea and startup better.
That place doesn’t quite exist, but if you're in college, you’re both in the next best thing! You are both surrounded by smart and motivated people, so the question is figuring out which you want to work with and then making sure that your goals and motivation are aligned. This isn’t easy or fast to figure out, but you can fall back on a set of principles to increase your chances of success.
The most likely place to find a cofounder is within your circle of friends and the people you’ve worked with on projects. Go through each of them and figure out whether or not you’d want to work with them closely. If the answer is yes, go talk to them.
Your goal initially isn’t to start a big company. It’s to start working on a project together and see what happens (if you’ve never worked together.) Be really honest with this new prospective cofounder about what you want and what you think you need to accomplish it. You’ll know pretty quickly whether or not your work styles and goals mesh. You’ll also get a sense of whether or not you think that person is good enough. If that first project goes well, get cranking, and write out a quick agreement on how you plan on splitting the company. This is part of communicating and setting expectations.
If you come across someone on your list that you don’t particularly want to work with, but you think is very smart, go and talk to them anyway. Ask them if they know anyone good that you should talk to about working with.
You will likely have to repeat this process lots of times, but if you are clear and honest when communicating what you want to do and how, you’ll have a better shot at finding a great cofounder.
Two other important things to keep in mind: