Actually, I did a Google search and found this thread:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=85189

Looks like freenode #startups is the place to be, perhaps?

Exactly. It's not always real active... I guess that's a sign people are busy with other stuff, which is good.

IRC is a waste of time. The best things happen in real life.

Too right! Don't bother with email or phones either. They are useless :/

Occasionally, just very occasionally, great things happen on IRC. Unfortunately, it happens so infrequently. You'd get more success by concentrating effort elsewhere.

I hang out on freenode #fauna. there are a bunch of rails hackers and startup people there.

#ai is good.

#python for help in python

#c++ to help ;)