How a duel works, start to finish
Two founders answer the same question. Voters read both and pick one. The result goes on both profiles and moves both ratings. Here are the rules behind each step.
Step 1 of 7
Discover
Start with the people and duels already on the board.
Step 2 of 7
Join
Your profile is where your record lives.
- Create an account
- Pick a username. It becomes your public profile address, so choose carefully: it locks once you finish onboarding or enter your first duel.
- Verify your email
- You need a verified email address to create, accept or enter a duel, add a startup or apply to a competition.
- Build your profile
- Add a headline, bio, links and your startup. Everyone starts with a Founder Rating of 1500.
Just here to watch? You can vote without competing, and in public duels without an account.
Step 3 of 7
Duel
Pick a format, ask one clear question and challenge an opponent. The invitation stays open for 72 hours.
- Challenge
- Choose the duel type, category, title and question, then your opponent. They have 72 hours to accept or decline.
- Entries
- Both sides submit an entry: a case, pitch, answer or position depending on the type. Entries stay hidden until voting opens.
- Voting
- Voting runs for 24 hours, 2 days, 3 days or 7 days, chosen when the duel is created.
The six formats
| Format | Who competes | Each side submits | Rated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder DuelFounder vs founder. Each side makes their case and the community picks who they back. | Founders | Your case | Yes |
| Startup DuelStartup vs startup. Each founder represents their startup and argues why it wins. | Startups | Why your startup wins | Yes |
| Pitch DuelTwo founders submit pitches. Voters decide which pitch they would back. | Founders | Your pitch, Deck or video link (optional) | Yes |
| Product DuelTwo products compete. Voters decide which one they would rather use. | Startups | Your product, Demo link (optional) | Yes |
| Strategy DuelBoth founders answer the same business scenario. The sharper decision wins. | Founders | Your answer | Yes |
| Opinion DuelFounders defend opposing positions on a question. The more convincing side wins. | Founders | Your position, Your argument | Yes |
| Community TopicA question the community puts up, argued as two positions. Anyone can vote, and a founder can claim a side later. | Founders | The case for this side (optional) | No |
Step 4 of 7
Vote
The community decides. The rules are enforced by the system, not left to trust.
- One vote per person per duel.
- Votes are final: they can't be changed or deleted.
- You can't vote in a duel you're part of, including one involving a startup you co-founded.
- Voting closes the moment the duel ends.
- Most duels ask voters to sign in. Some creators open voting to everyone.
- When you see the split
- After voting, by default
- Voters see the live split only after they cast their vote, so nobody just follows the crowd.
- Cheating
- Duplicate and coordinated voting gets flagged for review. Votes confirmed as manipulation are removed, even when that changes the winner.
Step 5 of 7
Result
When the timer ends, voting closes and the valid votes are counted.
- Win
- The side with more valid votes wins. The winner gains rating and the other side loses the same amount.
- Rating moves
- Tie
- An exact split picks no winner. Neither rating changes, and both founders get credit for completing the duel.
- No rating change
- No contest
- Fewer than 3 valid votes means there's no result: no winner, no loser.
- No rating change
If both entries aren't in before voting should start, the duel is cancelled and nothing changes. A winner is never picked at random.
Step 6 of 7
Rating
Every founder starts at 1500. Upsets move ratings a lot; expected wins move them a little.
- Expected score
- 1 ÷ (1 + 10^((opponent − you) ÷ 400))
- New rating
- old + 32 × (result − expected)
Ratings never fall below 100. Your global rank compares your rating with every founder who has completed at least one duel. The full methodology.
Achievements
- First Blood
- Won a first duel.
- Five Wins
- Won five duels.
- Ten Duels
- Completed ten duels.
- Hot Streak
- Won five duels in a row.
- Top 100
- Reached the global top 100.
- Top 10
- Reached the global top 10.
- Champion
- Won a competition.
- Recruiter
- Brought three founders who completed a duel. Reputation only; never affects rating.
Achievements are permanent once earned. Top 10 and Top 100 are awarded once at least five founders are ranked for every place.
Money can buy visibility. Never results.
Featured placement is always labelled and never changes leaderboard order. No purchase changes a vote, a result, a rating or a rank. Verification is never sold.
Common questions
The things founders ask before their first duel.
Is FounderDuels free?
Yes. Creating a profile, entering duels, voting, earning a Founder Rating and applying to competitions are all free. Nothing you could buy changes a result.
Who decides who wins a duel?
The voters. When voting closes, the side with more valid votes wins. A duel needs at least 3 valid votes to produce a result. In some competitions, judges' scores count alongside community votes.
Can I vote in my own duel?
No. You can't vote in a duel you're taking part in, and that includes duels involving a startup you co-founded. Everyone else gets one vote per duel.
Can I change my vote?
No. Votes are final once cast, and they can't be edited or deleted. Votes found to be manipulation are removed from the count.
What happens if a duel ends in a tie?
An exact tie picks no winner and neither rating changes. Both founders still get credit for completing the duel. We never pick a winner at random.
How many points is a win worth?
It depends on the gap between the two ratings. With a K factor of 32, beating an equally rated founder is worth 16. Beating a much stronger founder is worth more, and beating a much weaker one is worth less.
What happens if my opponent never submits an entry?
Voting only opens once both entries are in. If the entry window closes without both, the duel is cancelled and no ratings change.
Can paying for anything help me win?
No. Money could only ever buy visibility, never votes, wins, rating or rank. Featured profiles are always labelled, and leaderboard order ignores whether anyone has paid.
Got a question worth settling?