A practical guide

How to find collaborators for your idea

Start with a specific task, not just a job title. Explain the problem, the current stage and what a person would actually do. Give enough detail about time, location and compensation for them to decide whether to respond.

1. Decide what you need next

A co-founder, a developer helping with one feature and a tester trying a prototype are different requests. Choose the next task that moves the idea forward and say what a useful result would look like.

2. Write a request someone can answer

Include the role, task, relevant skills, expected time, language or location, and whether compensation is available. Describe uncertainty openly. Do not imply that a salary, equity or a finished product exists if it does not.

For example: “Tester wanted: try the onboarding of our working web prototype and tell us where you get stuck. One 20-minute remote session in English; unpaid. We will share the test link after agreeing on a time.”

3. Share enough context to make the task meaningful

Explain who experiences the problem, how the proposed solution might help and what you have already tested. Separate a concept from a working prototype. If you are sharing a product you discovered, make clear that you are not necessarily its creator or representative.

4. Discuss expectations before starting

Agree on a small first step, who is responsible, when you will review progress and how either person can stop. If the work may become a longer partnership, discuss ownership and compensation explicitly and seek appropriate professional advice when needed.

Make a concrete request on TinIdeas

On an idea profile you own, you can describe a contribution and its terms. Interested people can respond; you choose whether to accept. Posting a request does not guarantee a response.

Create an idea profile Explore ideas

If an idea is approved, the original submission can be publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential information. Privacy details.

Still testing the underlying problem? Read how to validate a startup idea.

Have a usable prototype or beta? Learn how to find beta testers and set a clear task.