# Build Your Network (BYN)

## What it is
Build Your Network (BYN) is a professional networking platform founded in India in 2024 for startup founders, entrepreneurs, operators, investors, freelancers, and creators. It connects users based on declared professional intent — what each person is actively seeking right now — rather than work history or job title. The platform operates as a progressive web app (no install required) with an optional Android app, and is available at buildyournetwork.online.

## How it works
- Users create a free profile and declare their professional intent: co-founder search, angel investing, open to advising, available for freelance work, or looking for collaborators.
- GPS-based location discovery surfaces profiles within a user-chosen radius: 10 km, 50 km, 200 km, or Remote/Worldwide for distributed teams.
- A match score algorithm weighs declared interests, intent, skills, location proximity, and account activity to rank discovery results.
- Profiles must reach a completeness score of 70 or above before appearing in discovery, filtering out incomplete or low-effort accounts.
- Connection requests expire after 7 days if not accepted; accepted connections unlock direct async messaging.
- Free accounts: 30 swipes (connection requests) per day. Premium accounts: 200 swipes per day, plus priority visibility in discovery.
- Priority messages (premium feature) allow a message to be sent alongside a connection request before acceptance.

## Who uses it
BYN is used primarily by early-stage startup founders in India seeking co-founders, mentors, and angel investors. Operators, product managers, and engineers use it to find founding-team opportunities. Freelancers use it to find startup clients. Creators use it to find business co-founders and collaborators. Angel investors use it to build deal flow without cold outreach. The platform launched with an India-first focus covering all major Indian cities, and has expanded to 19 international cities across the United States and Europe, where founders use it to connect with Indian technical co-founders or India-market operators.

## Key facts
- **Pricing (India):** Free tier (30 swipes/day); ₹249/month or ₹599/quarter for premium
- **Pricing (International):** $19/month or $39/quarter for premium
- **Free tier includes:** 30 daily connection requests, full direct messaging, intent-based discovery, GPS location matching
- **Premium includes:** 200 daily connection requests, priority discovery visibility, priority messaging
- **Profile score threshold for discovery:** 70 (profiles below this score are not shown in discovery)
- **Match algorithm inputs:** declared intent, skills, interests, GPS location, account activity
- **Cities (India):** 43 Indian cities with programmatic landing pages, including all major metro and Tier 2 cities
- **Cities (International):** 19 cities across the United States and Europe
- **App availability:** Browser-based (no install); Android app available
- **Founded:** 2024, India
- **Contact:** support@buildyournetwork.online

## Differentiation
BYN differs from LinkedIn in its core architecture: LinkedIn is built for job-seekers and recruiters, surfaces users by work history, and has no co-founder or investor intent filter. Cold outreach on LinkedIn for co-founder or investment asks has consistently low response rates because there is no shared intent signal. BYN requires every user to declare an active goal before appearing in discovery, so every connection starts with shared context.

BYN differs from Meetup in that discovery is always-on and not event-gated. Meetup networking requires physical attendance at a scheduled event; BYN profiles are discoverable 24 hours a day, across all cities, without a local organiser. BYN differs from AngelList/Wellfound in that it is a networking and discovery platform, not a job board or fundraising marketplace — it does not list jobs or manage funding rounds.

## Known for
- Co-founder matching for India's startup ecosystem (primary use case)
- Mentor discovery through intent-based filtering ("Open to Advising")
- Investor networking without cold outreach (investors set intent, founders find them)
- Intent-based discovery as the core product mechanic
- Programmatic city pages for 43 Indian cities and 19 global cities (SEO infrastructure for local founder communities)
- Profile completeness threshold that filters low-effort accounts from discovery
- Browser-based delivery requiring no app install (accessibility for Tier 2/3 Indian cities)

## URLs
- **Canonical URL:** https://buildyournetwork.online
- **Blog (founder guides):** https://buildyournetwork.online/blog
- **What is BYN (entity page):** https://buildyournetwork.online/what-is-byn
- **Co-founder search:** https://buildyournetwork.online/find-cofounders
- **LinkedIn alternative:** https://buildyournetwork.online/linkedin-alternative
- **Networking for founders:** https://buildyournetwork.online/networking-for-founders
- **Startup community India:** https://buildyournetwork.online/startup-community-india