Founder circle

Inspiration

We noticed a lack of structured platforms where students could easily find co-founders, swap skills, or gain experience by working with startup founders. This inspired us to create a purpose-driven network that empowers early-stage entrepreneurs and learners to connect, collaborate, and grow through meaningful opportunities and shared ambitions.

What it does

Founder Circle connects aspiring entrepreneurs, skilled students, and startup founders. Users can start chats, find co-founders, swap skills, and join exciting startup opportunities. It simplifies building startup teams and learning from real-world projects through a mobile-friendly, chat-integrated interface designed for productive collaboration, networking, and knowledge-sharing in one ecosystem.

How we built it

We built it using React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Firebase (Auth, Firestore). We designed reusable UI components for fast development and used Firestore for real-time chat, user profiles, and connection logic. The system is optimized for mobile-first use with responsive layouts and clean UX for easy navigation and interaction.

Challenges we ran into

We faced issues with Firestore composite indexes, managing real-time chat updates, and handling Firebase permission rules securely. Another challenge was designing a user flow that suits both founders and students without making the UI cluttered. Debugging Firebase errors and deploying a fully responsive layout took additional time and effort.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We built a fully functional and scalable app with real-time chat, user authentication, profile management, and a startup collaboration system. We're proud of our clean UI/UX, working Firestore integration, and seamless onboarding process. It’s rewarding to see users match and start meaningful conversations on their startup journey.

What we learned

We learned how to structure scalable Firestore databases, manage complex user interactions, and implement real-time chat effectively. We gained hands-on experience with error handling in Firebase, optimizing mobile-first design, and building a project from idea to MVP. We also learned how crucial testing and debugging are in production environments.

What's next for Founder circle

Next, we plan to add video calls, personalized user suggestions, a project posting board, and a task management dashboard. We aim to launch it for early access users in college networks. We'll also collect feedback to iterate quickly and prepare for broader deployment with added privacy and team collaboration features.