Issue No. 01
Winter 2026
The Founders Quarterly
How a rebellion against digital noise became a movement
Barranquilla, Colombia • 2026
omewhere along the way, we stopped having real conversations. Not the kind where you're half-reading a Slack thread while nodding on a Zoom call. Real ones. The kind that go longer than they should, where you lose track of time and walk away feeling like someone actually gets you.
We noticed it in ourselves first. Full calendars. Busy weeks. And yet — a strange, quiet feeling of being completely unknown by the people around us.
We had contacts. We didn't have friends.
“We didn't set out to build a product. We set out to find our people.”
— The Surnx Founders
So we tried something simple. Embarrassingly simple, honestly. We picked a book, found seven other people, and agreed to show up every Wednesday. Same place. Same faces. No agenda other than to read, talk, and actually listen.
Week one was a little awkward. Week three, something shifted. By week six, we didn't want it to end.
People were texting each other between sessions. Showing up early. Staying late. Not because the book was life-changing — but because the people were. Because it turns out, when you give a small group of humans a reason to keep showing up for each other, something real grows between them.
That first little experiment became Surnx Chapters.
Surnx Chapter, Bogotá Colombia
We're not trying to reinvent community. We just think it got buried somewhere under the noise — under the DMs and the follower counts and the networking events where everyone's quietly scanning the room for someone more useful to talk to.
You already know what a real conversation feels like. You just haven't had one in a while.
That's what we're here for.
Give people a reason to keep showing up
for each other
Relationships aren't built in a day — they're built by showing up again and again. We give you the space, the group, and a reason to come back every week. Six weeks of that is worth more than a hundred one-time networking events.
Book clubs. Dinners. Long walks. Things worth doing together, not events worth attending. No name tags. No agendas. Just a reason to come back next week.
Small groups. Consistent faces. The kind of people who text you between sessions — not because they need something, but because they were thinking of you.
You already know what a real conversation feels like
Showing up consistently beats networking every time
A small group beats a big following
Community isn't a product — it's what happens between people
Real connection requires a reason to return
Nobody needs another platform. People need people.
Behind every house, there's a founder with a story
Sheary Tan
CEO & Co-founder
Sheary is a certified marketing strategist, software engineer, and tech influencer who has built communities and led campaigns for global brands like Miro and Coursera across the US and Europe. Her journey went from chemistry grad and waitress to self taught engineer and digital nomad, turning her into a unique mix of tech, growth, and community mindset.
Today, she helps startups grow through smart marketing and real community building, driven by her passion for creating spaces where work, connection, and life truly blend. When she's not building Surnx, she's exploring new cities, surfing, or mentoring startups at Y Combinator.
“The best startups aren't built in garages anymore. They're built on beaches.”
Antonio Pertuz
COO & Co-founder
Antonio is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in software engineering and product development, with over five years of experience in the startup ecosystem. He has founded two tech companies in Latin America, former Head of Product and startup consultant in early stage startups including with Y Combinator startups, helping teams scale, refine their products, and optimize their operations.
At Surnx, he applies design thinking as a tool alongside strategy and execution to shape experiences that drive collaboration and creativity. With a passion for sustainable design and building efficient systems, Antonio believes the future of work needs environments that balance productivity with well being.
“The best ideas happen IRL. Everything else is just documentation.”
Join the community of founders who are done with digital noise and ready to build something real.