An experiment
I think Claude can be your co-founder. I want to prove it.
One founder with a real idea. Claude as the co-founding layer. An advisor* who's been through it. Let's build.
One founder with a real idea. Claude as the co-founding layer. An advisor* who's been through it. Let's build.
Building a company is one of the hardest things you can do. Not because of the work, but because of the weight.
Your runway is getting shorter, your co-founder just left, your partner doesn't really understand why you're always up late at night, your friends would like to help but they've never lived this, you don't think you can talk to your investors about the help you need…
Having no one to share this with is heavy.
I built my first startup not knowing anything about entrepreneurship. I raised a pre-seed, graduated from Techstars Austin, signed LOIs with big enterprises for distribution… without a fully working product.
I had two co-founders along the way. The first didn't work out but we're still friends. The second was my mistake; I promoted someone for the title instead of the fit and didn't set him up for success. Lost the company and spent years paying back personally guaranteed debt.
What pulled me out was the drive to keep building. I co-built Next AI Montreal (one of Canada's best AI accelerator), replicated that model nationally, and spent years coaching founders through the messy parts across programs like Techstars, NEXT Canada, ACET, and Startup en Residence. Most recently, I took a founder from concept to working product and they raised $1.6M on it.
I got your back-Phil
I've spent the past year building and testing a system on top of Claude that handles most of what a solo founder needs. It builds and ships product, automates operations, drafts copy in your voice, and thinks through strategy alongside you.
What I haven't proven yet is whether it works for someone other than me; a non-technical founder building a real business from scratch. That's the experiment.
You've lived the problem or watched it up close. You know your customers because you've been one. That insight is the one thing no system can replace.
The system ships product from day one. Code, operations, automation. Most of the foundation is already built, and we adapt it to your business as we go.
Strategy, connections, the hard conversations, and years of pattern-matching from working with founders who've been exactly where you're going.
A couple hours a week together. Getting to know each other, digging into your problem, talking to potential customers, figuring out what to build before we build anything.
I show you how the system works and you start taking the lead. We ship, learn from customers, iterate. My time tapers as you find your rhythm.
You're running the company. I'm your sounding board, the person who makes an intro when the timing is right. Someone you can trust and be honest with about how it's actually going.
Not an advisor sending monthly check-in emails. Someone who gets their hands dirty with you.
I take a small percentage of revenue when you start making money. Nothing before that. No equity. No retainer. If things work out and you want to buy me out eventually, we figure that out together. If the business doesn't work, we both walk away having learned something.
This is the first time I'm doing this, so the terms aren't rigid. But the principle is simple: I win when you win.
You'd rather be on the phone with a customer than in a code editor.
You don't need to quit your job tomorrow, but when the time comes, you need to know you're willing to make the jump.
You're solving this because you can't not solve it. The obsession is real.
Not as a content creator, but rather as a way to document what we learn together. I want to prove this thesis works. In exchange, you get my expertise, my network, and my time. That's the trade.
First-time founder? I'm with you. Tried before? Let's do this! Show me the problem you can't walk away from.
Three questions, no pitch deck. Takes about 10 minutes. I'm not looking for the perfect answer, I'm looking for the right person.
All fields are required.
Thanks for putting yourself out there. I review applications in batches, not instantly, but thoughtfully. If there's a fit, I'll reach out directly. If there isn't, I'll still tell you why.