If you're going to go at it with a non-hacker, I suggest finding someone who at least understands the process (maybe one who has written even a small program) s

If you're going to go at it with a non-hacker, I suggest finding someone who at least understands the process (maybe one who has written even a small program) so that he will have a respect for what the hacker half does. Likewise I think it would seem easy for a hacker to underestimate the importance of a salesperson, designer, marketer, business developer, etc., so take the time to understand and appreciate this aspect of your startup. In the end, you'll both learn a lot from each other, and you'll have a well rounded and balanced set of founders.