Two heads are better than one, and the same rings true when starting a company. You can have the idea, the entire business plan set out, the drive and desire needed, but there might be something missing. This is where most founders turn their focus to the search for a perfect co-founder. A co-founder that complements their skills, helps them turn their ideas into reality, brings a fresh perspective, and is there to support them.

Dan Sherry started Pulsedive with the goal of combating the sensory overload that comes with the noise generated by open source threat intelligence. The growing wealth of open source intelligence data doesn't necessarily make Osint easier. On one hand, you can access almost any information you need, but on the other hand, you must also navigate and discern the relevant data, essentially finding a needle in the ever-growing haystack.

After looking for someone to help him shape his idea from the ground up, Dan, who is more tech-oriented, found Grace Chi with her vast experience in product marketing and related fields. With their two starkly different backgrounds, but entirely complementary expertise and skills, Dan and Grace were able to shape Pulsedive into what it is today.

We had a chance to chat with Dan and Grace and hear about their experiences working as co-founders, their biggest strengths and how exactly they complement each other, as well as their business philosophies on building both an analyst and community-centric platform. You'll also find out what the early start of Pulsedive looked like, the differences between well-run and poorly-run S O Cs and the common challenges they face, and how cats can, in fact, be very good business advisors.

**SecurityTrails: Dan, you began Pulsedive as a solo founder and then Grace joined you as a co-founder. How did this journey go?**

**Dan Sherry**: I spent a period of time at the start looking for a co-founder, long before Grace joined, but finding the right person is tougher than it sounds. First, you need to get them on board with your vision, because they will likely need to leave their day job to earn less than the market average, building something that is statistically likely to fail. Second, they ideally need to complement your skills, which might mean searching outside the industry. If they aren't already in your network, you might need to put your trust in a total stranger, and they would need to put their faith in you, your experience, and your observations about the market landscape.

**What is some advice you would give to entrepreneurs that are looking to find a co-founder or partner? What is something nobody tells you about the process of finding and having a co-founder?**

**Dan**: It's more likely you already know someone who would make a good fit than finding someone. Because you are giving them significant equity, you have to really trust that person. I've found that you don't really know someone until you've actually worked with them. Working at the same company as someone is not the same as working on a project together.

Additionally, try to gain some knowledge of the domain you're looking for a co-founder to cover. Consuming business knowledge, learning from others, and teaching myself marketing and design, helped me recognize people who know what they're talking about.

The hardest part, that nobody tells you, is once you find the right fit, you need to convince them to join your tiny company, in a crowded market, for not that much pay.

**Grace comes from marketing related-positions, and Dan from a technical background. How do two stark backgrounds actually work for you and bring such positive outcomes in running a company?**

**Dan**: Our approach from the start was to build the marketing right into the product. People could jump into the experience we were aiming to deliver, rather than hitting just the marketing content. This choice is a challenge because it's hard to balance what each user might be looking for...