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emaho

Who you build with matters.

Upstream Rotterdam May 21, 2026

A mirror for founders.

Your answers save automatically · anonymous until you choose to save.

01 · Founder ID

Who is this profile for?

Your name. The person you have in mind today. No surnames needed.

02 · What I need to bond

Not what they need. What I need.

Pick the three most important for you. More is fine. Then add the words that aren't here but matter.

0 picked · 3 is the sweet spot
03 · Why I build · Primary

What drives me most?

Most founders are a mix of two. First pick your primary. The one that comes first when you're honest.

03 · Why I build · Secondary

And underneath that?

The second one that's still loud, but quieter than the first.

04 · Energy with this person

Does this person gain or drain my energy?

Not about the work. About being with them. After every meeting your body answers before your mind does. Listen.

Drains me Gains me
05 · The mirror

Am I ready for someone next to me?

Three Cs. Rate yourself 1 to 5. If two of these land below 4, the work isn't to find the right co-founder. The work is on you first.

Curiosity I'm open to being wrong, and want to learn why.
rarelyalways
Courage I have the hard conversation early, not after it hurts.
rarelyalways
Collaboration People around me get stronger, not smaller.
rarelyalways
06 · Why I want a co-founder · Healthy

Which healthy reasons feel true for me?

Tap the ones you recognize in yourself. Honesty in private.

06 · Why I want a co-founder · Unhealthy

Which unhealthy reasons feel true for me?

Brave. Tap the ones you also recognize. What you ignore in yourself is what you'll hire for.

07 · The four D's · I am a

I am a

Pick the one that names you best. Each D is a way of meeting the work.

07 · The four D's · I need a

I need a

The match is the diagonal. Pick the one that completes you, not the one that copies you.

08 · The decision · This week

Don't think. Write.

Writing it down is the contract. The date is the difference between a thought and a decision.

Write the words you would actually say to start this conversation, not what it's about. The opening sentence, the question, the request. If you'd rehearse it in your head before saying it out loud, that's what goes here.
If you wrote 'someday', write a real date now.