#cofounderslab

.@Onevest Acquires @FounderDating, becomes the Largest #Network For #Entrepreneurs

Onevest announced today the acquisition of FounderDating to create one of the largest and leading networks of entrepreneurs and advisors, in combination with Onevest‘s subsidiary, CoFoundersLab.

The strategic appeal for the acquisition is clear. In addition to FounderDating’s large and curated community for finding advisors and co-founders, their Q&A platform – FD:Discuss – has grown in…

@Onevest Sets $2 Million Self-Crowdfunding Record; Uses Funds to Hire Top Talent

Financial technology company currently operates one of the leading startup investing marketplaces with over 80,000 entrepreneurs and 15,000 investors registered

By Robert Hoskins

New York City, New York – Onevestannounced that reached $2M in financing for its Series A round after self–crowdfunding on its own platform.   The financial technology firm launched the 506c offering to celebrate the…

Crowdfunding Mergers Continue; @RockThePost1 and @CoFoundersLab for New #Equity #Crowdfunding Platform

New Equity Crowdfunding Platform, OneVest, Creates One-Stop Shop for Investors Seeking Startups in the United States

By Robert Hoskins

New York, NY– From early stage venture capital firms to family offices, high-net-worth individuals and non-accredited individuals, investors will find Onevest the perfect place to get a first look at the world’s most dynamic startups. Onevest has a diversified…

Ah, Cofounders Lab.

A friend told me about this site a few months ago. It seemed like a fantastic idea - I’m a person that wants to get involved in a startup, but I don’t necessarily want to be the “idea” person. I want to design. I want to create.

Perhaps that was my first mistake. Part of the startup culture is truly believing in the product. Cofounders Lab seems to have two different types of people - people like me, who are bored and want to use their talents for … whatever. And then people who are truly ingrained in their startup and need resources. Those two groups of people seem to compliment each other … but, they really don’t.

No amount of talent will make up for a lack of passion. I get a lot of messages from people who are so excited about their startups - and a lot of them, I personally don’t believe in and I can’t in good faith work with them. I wouldn’t enjoy it and I would ultimately be hindering their business.

Granted, I have come across a few people with some good ideas. So it’s not all lost.

BostonInno wrote an article a few weeks ago talking about how the Cofounders lab has merged with another local Boston entrepreneur matchmaking service, FoundersMatchup (lucky me, and my photo was in the screen shot they took). The article points out how Cofounders Lab is gaining momentum in Boston - and it is, but is it all for the right causes?

I got this email the other day.

I am looking to implement a phase 2 redesign and rebranding of my site. This process will include both design and technical enhancements. I am putting quick contest together to see who can come up with the best idea. Whoever wins will be in charge of the redesign with programmers and will get paid plus potential equity

That’s it. No other information. I have no idea what the site is about. You are trying to get me to join your startup - where’s the elevator pitch? Why aren’t you selling me on your product? Why aren't you telling me what your product is … and, more importantly, why aren't you telling me why it’s in my best interest to do work for you for free.

Design is not about bells and whistles. It’s not an afterthought. It’s a legitimate discipline that requires a professional. Design is not something that should be given away for free; the profession is already undervalued as it is, why contribute to that?

I don’t want to work for people who make a startup into a game. It’s serious business, so let’s treat it as such.

I also get a plethora of emails that are looking for “front end.” Well, I’m a designer. Designer != front end … always. I even specified I do UX design and still, I get emails looking for front end devs. JS ninjas. I included a link to my portfolio site as well … and still, I get front end dev emails. That immediately makes me question - do the people sending the emails a) know what they want and b) do they even have any understanding of this aspect of the business? c) did they even take the time to investigate me before they emailed me? or did they just search “designer” and send the same email to whoever showed up in the search results?

Ultimately though, it makes me seriously question whether these people truly understand this UX/UI side of the business. This isn’t limited to Cofounders Lab. I’ve had a bosses who just don’t “get” UX/UI design. They know they need it for their business, but they don’t really know why – nor do they really care to find out. It’s just lip service – to either sell more, or bring on new clients.

You see this in job postings as well - most job postings want a “designer” who can do front end dev, back end dev, AND make it rain gold with their designs …. when what they REALLY need is someone who can design a 4 page website and run it through Dreamweaver. Or maybe, they really do need all of those things .. in which case, they are looking for 3 people, not 1 magic person.

Anyway, based on my experience, this is how I feel about Cofounders Lab and working for other people in general (which is ironically very similar to how I feel about dating):