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Start Here: What is Heirloom?

What is Heirloom and why do we build

Start Here: What is Heirloom?

Heirloom is an online platform that helps people with ideas find their early-stage team and helps teams build better together.

Our mission is simple: increase the opportunity for entrepreneurship by giving people the structure to keep their ideas alive.

Why We Build

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Back in 2024, I left my job to pursue Heirloom because I was passionate about helping people pursue their passions. But I also recognized the privilege in being able to do that. Heirloom was created to give other people that same opportunity, without them needing to quit their job just to get started.

Because the truth is: plenty of people have great ideas. Stuff they’re genuinely passionate about. Side projects they want to pursue. But between responsibilities, lack of capital or knowledge, and a smaller network after leaving college, things get in the way.

Over time, those obstacles add up. And without the right support network, most ideas eventually fade away.

We don’t think that should be the default.

This is basically the tool I wish existed when I was trying to build Heirloom while working.

Everyone should have the opportunity to pursue what they’re excited about, because work created out of joy is usually the best work we can create.

So we built Heirloom to give teams structure:

  • a place for isolated ideators to meet people who actually want to help grow the idea
  • tools to organize the work
  • a system that keeps things moving (instead of scattered across notes, texts, and half-finished docs)

A big part of Heirloom: dynamic equity

In the current landscape, there are only so many ways to get external help.

A common option is freelancing, which can be great, but it often turns into a transactional relationship where incentives aren’t aligned. You want the best possible work for the product. The freelancer wants to get it done and move to the next job. It’s short-term, and usually not built for deep ownership.

People also look for cofounders. But the current methods have problems too:

  • it’s hard to find cofounders in your existing network
  • tools like YC Cofounder Match can help you meet someone, but equity often becomes a mess later
  • a lot of teams set splits early, then reality changes

A huge source of cofounder conflict is equity not reflecting the work that actually made the business succeed.

Dynamic equity flips this idea on its head.
Ownership is earned through work done.

This helps early teams (sometimes strangers) align motivation:

  • people put their best foot forward
  • contributions stay visible
  • you avoid “we picked a split on vibes” problems down the line

Heirloom is also about shared ownership culture

Heirloom was inspired by the current workers rights movement, when a lot of people felt like cogs in a machine. Most workers have no say in the direction of the company are oftentime discarded as just labor.

We think that’s a wasted opportunity.

Everyone, from intern to CEO, can have ideas that help a business grow. So we want to make it normal for teams to build a culture where people share ideas openly and participate in the mission. You see versions of that in co-ops and other employee-owned organizations.

That’s part of why Heirloom has a proposal system: low-lift idea sharing that encourages people to speak up, suggest improvements, and move the work forward together.

One of our users said it best:

“It’s like Asana but it makes sure your work is fairly recognized and you feel like you can actually contribute ideas and help improve the vision. You’re recognized for your contributions, you’re empowered to participate in growth, and you can suggest improvements. It’s not like an employeer / employees relationship where you don’t get any say, your effort is compensated and you can influence the mission.”

The future we’re trying to create

A future where responsibilities don’t automatically kill passion.

A future where anybody who wants to create can find the right people to create with.

We want to support everything from traditional startups to non-profits to artistic collectives.

If it feels harder than ever to bet on yourself, Heirloom exists to make that first step easier without needing to take a leap of faith.

If you’re interested: sign up, add your idea, and see where it goes.
Join the community and start building better together.

Why the name “Heirloom”

An heirloom is something precious you protect and pass down. That’s how we think about good ideas, most people have a few they genuinely care about, but they’re fragile without the right support.

Heirloom exists to help those ideas survive long enough to become real, and eventually become something you can be proud to hand off: to your team, your community, maybe even the future “family” you build along the way.

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