Founder-Market Fit (What We Actually Look For)
- What does "founder-market fit" actually mean?
- It means you have something we can't teach: genuine understanding of or connection to a market. This could be deep expertise, a real audience, years working in the industry, or clear insight into a customer problem. It's not just having a good idea—it's being the right person to execute it because you already understand the space.
- What kind of ventures do you back?
- Any market where someone has authentic founder-market fit. SaaS, physical products, services, education, community—category doesn't matter. What matters: is the founder credible in this space? Do customers trust them? Would they naturally listen to this person?
- Do I need a finished idea?
- No. You need to know what market excites you and why you're uniquely positioned to serve it. The problem, the customer, the solution—we figure out together in discovery. You bring the market knowledge; we bring the clarity.
- Do I need a cofounder already, or can I apply solo?
- Either works. Some founders come with a technical cofounder; others come solo. If you're solo, we assess whether you need a cofounder and help with that. If you come with someone, we evaluate the partnership fit together.
- What if I've never run a business before?
- Perfect. We provide the business in a box—you run it as the front person. What we need is work ethic and market authenticity. Business skills are learnable; grit and real customer understanding are what we can't teach. You bring the latter.
Partnership & Decision-Making
- What equity do I get?
- Typically 30-70% founder equity, depending on the venture and your role. OQVA takes operational cofounder equity. The split reflects real partnership—you own the company and run it as the front person; we own operational responsibility for building and maintaining the infrastructure. This isn't dilution; it's fair exchange for the business in a box we provide.
- What do you actually provide?
- Product, operations, positioning—built and ready to run. You're the front person. You own the customer relationships, the market presence, and the voice of the company. We handle what runs in the background. You lead in front.
- Who makes decisions? How does that actually work?
- You own strategy, go-to-market, and the voice of the company—what we're building, how we position it, how we talk about it. We own the technical and operational build. Major decisions (big pivots, new markets, fundraising) we make jointly. Day to day: you lead on market and message; we lead on product and operations. Clear split, clear accountability.
- What if we disagree on a major decision?
- That's normal. You see market and message; we see build and operations. Neither side is wrong—different angles on the same problem. We talk it through, sometimes one convinces the other, sometimes we find a third path. If we truly can't align, it's a partnership problem worth surfacing early. That's what discovery is for.
- What happens if the partnership breaks down?
- We have clear terms upfront. If you want to leave, you can—we discuss buyout/equity adjustment based on the stage. If we need to step back, same conversation. But honestly, if the partnership is breaking down in year 1, something went wrong in the fit assessment. Discovery exists specifically to avoid this.
- How long is the partnership? Can I exit?
- There's no forced exit timeline. We build until the venture is stable and scaled, or until we mutually agree to a different structure (you raise a Series A, you want to bring in other investors, you want operational control, etc.). It's flexible. Exit terms are discussed upfront.
The Discovery & Build Process
- How do I apply?
- Tell us who you are, what market excites you, why you're uniquely positioned to serve it, and what your work ethic actually looks like (tell a real story, not generic). Links to your work, LinkedIn, Twitter, or portfolio help—we want to see what you've actually done.
- What happens after I apply?
- We review applications within 7 days. If there's potential fit, we schedule a 30–45 min call with Andrei or Henry. Not a pitch. A real conversation: we get to know you, you get to know how we think, and we both figure out if partnership makes sense.
- What's discussed in the first call?
- Your background, what drives you, what market you're excited about, why you're the right person to own it, and what obstacles you're facing. We're assessing three things: Do you have market authenticity? Do you have grit? Are you coachable? Not about your business knowledge—that's the least important variable.
- What is the Discovery phase, exactly?
- If there's fit from the first call, we move to discovery (4–8 weeks). We ramp up together—meaningful engagement at first, building toward full-time as we validate. We meet 2–3x per week. We're validating the market together, refining the problem/solution, understanding the business model, and assessing whether we should actually build. No commitment yet—we're deciding together. You learn how we work; we learn if you're as committed as you say.
- What if we both agree to build after discovery?
- We move into the build phase (8–12 weeks). We build the product, positioning, operations, revenue model. You become the voice—we want you to shout about it from the rooftops. Regular 1:1s, weekly check-ins.
- What's expected of me time-wise?
- Discovery ramps up: we start with meaningful engagement and move toward full-time as we validate. Build is full-time—your primary focus. Once the business is running, you're the front person—leading the business, not building systems from scratch. We align on what's fair for each phase.
Capital & Growth
- Can OQVA help with investment?
- We can help with investment to get you to launch when the venture needs it. We don't make a big thing of it—we discuss what's right for the venture and go from there.
- Do I need to raise more capital after launch?
- Not necessarily. The venture is built to get to product-market fit and initial revenue. Some stay small and profitable; others need to raise later. If growth requires more capital, we discuss together—what's the plan, what's the trade-off? You're never forced to fundraise.
- What if someone wants to invest in our venture? Can they?
- Yes. If an investor approaches you or we decide to raise a Series A, that's a conversation. You'd potentially dilute equity, which changes the cap table. But you'd gain capital for scaling. We'd discuss together what makes sense for the business.
- What happens if we want to sell the venture?
- You and OQVA split proceeds according to equity ownership. Pretty straightforward.
- Can OQVA sell the company without my consent?
- No. You're the cofounder. Major decisions (exits, fundraising, strategic pivots) are made jointly. Neither party can unilaterally exit.
- What if the business fails?
- That's real. Some ventures don't work. We both take the risk—you invest time and presence; we invest the build. There's no penalty for you beyond the equity (which becomes worthless). If you want to move on to another venture, we can discuss.
Logistics & Team
- Who's involved in building?
- OQVA has staff designers and engineers. Andrei leads brand, positioning, and validation; Henry leads the technical build and automation. They're your operational partners.
- Where is OQVA based? Do I need to be local?
- We're happy with fully remote. No need to be local—we work with founders wherever they are.
- What's the time commitment from Andrei and Henry?
- In discovery: regular touchpoints so we can validate the venture together—we don't count hours, we make sure we're aligned. In build: substantial partnership—multiple sessions per week (1:1s, team meetings, decisions) plus ongoing async work. Once the business is running and you're the front person, we shift to steady check-ins and support. We're clear upfront about what each phase looks like so expectations are fair on both sides.
- Can I reach out to OQVA mentors or advisors?
- You have access to our network for intros and advice. Andrei and Henry are your operational partners—Andrei on brand, positioning, and validation; Henry on technical build and automation. Other advisors/mentors are occasional, not your primary support.
- What happens if I'm not accepted? How do I stay in the conversation?
- Keep building, stay visible, reach out when things change. If we see you progressing and the fit improves, we'll reach out. We're also happy to chat about why it wasn't the right fit and what might change that.
- Still have questions?
- Email contact@oqva.digital or book a call. We're transparent about how we work.
