Cosign: The Reputation Layer for the Startup Ecosystem

Cosign is a professional networking platform built specifically for the startup world. It works like a curated Rolodex where people can build profiles highlighting their strengths, but with a twist — those profiles get validated by people who've actually worked with them or know their work. The core idea is that endorsements from your network carry more weight than self-promotion alone. You can browse talent and companies this way, filtering through noise by seeing who's been vouched for by people you trust. The platform lets users create "lists" — basically curated collections of people or companies they'd recommend. Think of it as a way to publicly stake your reputation on someone's abilities. You might create a list of "founders I'd back" or "engineers worth knowing," which signals your judgment to others. There's also a voting system where the community weighs in on favorites, surfacing who stands out when multiple trusted voices compare notes. This creates a kind of signal-to-noise filter in a crowded market where everyone claims to be exceptional. On the practical side, Cosign includes a job board pulling open positions from companies that members have recommended. There's also a news feed focused on startup moves and industry developments, keeping everything in one place rather than scattered across Twitter, email, and random newsletters. The whole setup assumes that in startup communities, personal credibility and existing relationships matter more than algorithms, so it's built around letting those relationships do the filtering work.