Where do founders actually build real relationships in 2026? I will not Promote
Over the last year, while building products and spending time around founders, developers, AI builders, creators, and operators, I noticed something:
A lot of startup people have access to content, tools, podcasts, Twitter threads, LinkedIn posts, Reddit communities… but still struggle to build real relationships with people they can actually collaborate with.
Not followers. Not audiences. Not newsletter subscribers.
Real people:
* future cofounders
* early operators
* engineers
* marketers
* early users
* investors
* advisors
I started experimenting with smaller founder circles outside public feeds, and honestly the quality of conversations feels very different.
Curious how others here are solving this.
Where have you found your best startup relationships lately?
* Reddit?
* X?
* LinkedIn?
* Discord?
* Slack?
* Real-life events?
* Private circles?
What’s actually working for you in 2026?