Three Sticks Woven Together: My Search for Two Co-Founders

I’m weaving a dream. That dream is ai.doi.bio, a platform to synthesize scientific knowledge from scattered sources (like doi.bio and the PDB database of protein structures) into something powerful, clear, and accessible. In moments like this, with the world quiet and my mind alight with possibilities, I feel the thrill of building something revolutionary.

But I’m also aware of a quiet, persistent ache: I’m building this dream alone. And as proud as I am of what I’ve accomplished solo, I know deep down that one stick alone can only hold so much. I have carried this vision by myself for four years, and while it’s been a labor of love, I can feel the strain. I need help. I need you — the two co-founders who can stand beside me, each of us supporting the others, three sticks woven together in partnership.

The Dream I’m Weaving

Let me share a bit more about this dream. ai.doi.bio was born from a simple but pressing realization: scientific knowledge is growing fast, but it’s often frustratingly fragmented. Today, a biologist might spend hours hunting down which research paper corresponds to a Protein Data Bank (PDB) entry, or manually superimposing molecular structures from different sources, or double-checking if “J. Smith” in one database is the same person as “John R. Smith” in another. I’ve been that person, and I’ve seen countless researchers waste precious time on these scavenger hunts.

I wanted to fix that. Over the years, I painstakingly wove together multiple scientific databases and libraries — from the thousands of curated articles in doi.bio to the 270,000+ entries of the PDB and beyond. Every piece of data is verified, cross-linked, and made accessible via AI. The result is a self-reinforcing web of scientific knowledge: imagine a giant knowledge graph where every protein structure connects to its relevant papers, where every author is linked to their work, where you can ask a question and instantly see both the answer and the 3D structure that answer comes from. It’s like turning a messy library into a well-organized, intelligent assistant that can guide you through the world of molecular biology.

This is the what and why of ai.doi.bio: to make scientific discovery faster and more intuitive. I didn’t set out to just build another tool; I set out to solve a pain I knew deeply. And after years of iteration (including a few earlier startup experiments in the ’90s that taught me what not to do), I finally feel like we’re on the cusp of something truly special.

An Unlikely Founder

By now you might be picturing the person behind all this. I’ll be honest: I’m not the stereotypical 20-something tech wunderkind. I’m an autistic founder in my 50s, and I wear that label with pride. It shapes how I see the world. I notice patterns and connections that others overlook; I dive down rabbit holes of detail with a zeal that can be both a superpower and a challenge. It means I can spend days happily cleaning up scientific metadata (indeed, I have!), ensuring every DOI and author name lines up perfectly. But it also means I sometimes feel this world a bit more intensely and differently than others. I’m sensitive, maybe even a little fragile at times when the chaos of startup life hits.

And yes, I’m older than many startup founders. I sometimes joke that I’m a bit past my prime in age, if not in spirit. Decades ago, I co-founded a biotech software company (back when dial-up internet was still a thing). I’ve seen trends come and go. I’ve had successes and spectacular failures. These experiences gave me scars, stories, and a healthy dose of humility. They also gave me perspective: I know what matters in the long run — things like integrity, perseverance, and taking care of the people around you.

Despite all that experience, I still approach this venture with the hopeful, almost naive enthusiasm of a newcomer. In fact, being a later-stage, neurodivergent founder is kind of my secret weapon. I’m not here for ego or vanity; I’m here because I truly, deeply believe in the mission. I’m here because I care. I’m the founder who will encourage you every day, who will celebrate the small wins, who will listen intently when you speak — because I know what it feels like not to be heard. Kindness and curiosity drive me as much as ambition does.

I share all this because I want you — my potential co-founders — to know who you’d be partnering with. You’ll get a colleague who is hopeful, kind, and fiercely passionate, but also open about his vulnerabilities and limitations. I believe that authenticity and empathy are strengths, not weaknesses. And that brings me to why I’m writing this: even with all my energy and dedication, I cannot do this alone.

Stronger Together

I mentioned earlier that one stick alone can only hold so much. It’s a lesson I take to heart. There’s an old fable about how one stick breaks easily, two sticks can carry more but might still bend, and three sticks woven together are unbreakable. Right now, I’m that single stick (okay, maybe a slightly overworked stick). With just my strength, I’ve bent under the weight of wearing every hat — developer, scientist, product manager, cheerleader, and yes, even janitor of my own startup. I’ve done the 18-hour days, the long weekends, the solitary problem-solving marathons. And while it’s amazing what one determined person can do, it’s not sustainable or wise to keep going alone.

I firmly believe that two heads (or three) are not just better than one, they’re in a completely different league. With two co-founders by my side, we won’t just add our skills together — we’ll multiply them. When one of us gets stuck, the others can find a way forward. When one feels discouraged, the others can lift them up. If I’m focused on fine-tuning an algorithm, a co-founder can be out talking to users or planning a business strategy. If you’re brainstorming an innovative feature, I can be integrating the data to support it. We’ll cover for each other, amplify each other’s strengths, and compensate for each other’s weaknesses.

Frankly, I need that balance. I need people who can do things I can’t, who see things from angles I don’t. And I want to be that for you, too. Co-founding, to me, means having each other’s backs in this crazy adventure. It’s about trust and mutual respect. I want us to feel safe sharing wild ideas, or admitting when we don’t know something, or confessing when we’re overwhelmed. In a team like that, no single failure will break us. Instead, we’ll bend, adjust, and keep going — together, stronger.

Who I’m Looking For

You might be wondering if you could be one of these co-founders. Here’s the truth: there’s no single perfect profile. I’m looking for complementary partners whose skills and passions balance mine. You could be a polymath with a foot in many fields, or an expert deeply specialized in one. Broadly, if you have strength in one or more of these areas, we could be a great match:

• Technical & AI Mastery: Maybe you’re a software engineer or ML researcher who loves building robust systems. If you can help architect and scale an AI-driven platform (and wrangle knowledge graphs or 3D visualization), that’s a huge plus.
• Scientific & Data Savvy: Perhaps you’re a scientist at heart. You understand the world of research, the pain of digging through papers and data. You could guide us on what researchers truly need, ensuring our content and curation are top-notch.
• Product & UX Vision: Or you’re a product thinker and designer. You can envision intuitive user experiences and have a knack for turning complex tech into something people genuinely enjoy using. You’d make sure ai.doi.bio isn’t just powerful, but also user-friendly and delightful.
• Business & Partnerships Drive: Maybe you’re business-minded, with an eye for strategy, fundraising, and partnerships. You know how to get the word out, form alliances (with, say, biotech companies or academic institutions), and ensure this venture can sustain itself and grow.

It’s a lot, I know. You don’t need to check all those boxes — two co-founders means we can divide and conquer. One of you might lean more technical, another more business, or any mix that complements each other. The key is that you’re passionate about the mission and ready to throw your heart into this.

I also want to make one thing clear: we are remote-friendly. I’m used to collaborating across time zones and believe that talent and passion aren’t bound by geography. Whether you’re in a tech hub or a small town, what matters to me is that we communicate well and share trust. If we click, we click — Zoom calls, Slack, late-night brainstorming documents and all.

Call to Adventure

So here I am, extending my hand and my heart. This is an open invitation to join me on this adventure. If you’ve read this far and felt even a spark of excitement or curiosity, I’d love to talk. You don’t have to be exactly what I described above. Maybe you doubt yourself — maybe you think you’re not qualified enough, or that the problem sounds intimidating. I assure you, I have those doubts too, about myself, all the time! What’s important is that you care, that you see the potential of what we can build, and that you’re willing to try.

Imagine a year from now: the three of us are looking back on what we created. Perhaps we’ve helped a scientist discover a new drug target because our platform made a crucial connection obvious. Perhaps we’ve secured funding and grown a small team. Maybe we’re just proud that a handful of researchers say, “I don’t know how I ever worked without this tool.” However success looks, I know it will feel so much sweeter because we’ll have achieved it together.

If any of this resonates with you, please reach out. Send me an email at **sness@sness.net**. Introduce yourself, share your story, or just say hi and ask me anything. I promise a friendly, genuine conversation. No formal pitch or resume needed at this stage — just people connecting with people.

I started this journey with a hopeful spirit and a big dream. Now, I’m looking for two co-founders to help carry that dream forward. One stick alone can break, but three woven together? Unbreakable. If you’re out there reading this, consider this my call to adventure for both of us. Let’s connect, team up, and see what new magic we can weave in the world of science. The door is open — let’s see where this road takes us, together.