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The problem is you don't need a technical cofounder, you need a good technical founder. Just because someone is at a meetup or on Github doesn't mean they're a

The problem is you don't need a technical cofounder, you need a good technical founder. Just because someone is at a meetup or on Github doesn't mean they're a good technical cofounder. Finding a technical cofounder isn't too difficult. If you can't sell your idea to one developer you probably can't sell it to customers. Finding a good technical cofounder is very hard.

nicholasjbs 16y ago
It's even harder than that: You need a good technical co-founder that you have good chemistry with.
- shay 16y ago
  Finding this is hard, especially because we non-techies are likely on a learning curve when we're having substantive discussions with you about the evolution of our product. But I think that as long as we're informed on technology (opportunities and hurdles) and have truly crystallized some initial business plan, I think we're better poised to experience that essential chemistry.
rguzman 16y ago
Not only that, but what makes a good technical co-founder depends on the business. Le sigh, co-founder dating is hard.
- rogerjin 16y ago
  True... recognizing a good technical co-founder is half the battle
Reclix 16y ago
I agree with you, Matt - I wouldn't want to just pick the first technical cofounder that could dazzle me with jargon I haven't heard. I'm a business type, and I absolutely believe that business types with great ideas and hypotheses they want to test can hire a team to get their minimum viable product off the ground, for a very reasonable price. And, if skilled at product development, they can get quite far on this track. Yes, of course you want to partner with a great technical co-founder, but how do you expect to attract such a hero without having proven your worth, the viability of your idea, etc. What's a bit frustrating about this post is that it's going to paralyze a lot of perfectly good business folks with the ingenuity to get it going on their own first. I'm not saying that hiring a team is a long term strategy, but in the short term? HELL YES! YOU CAN DO IT!

nicholasjbs 16y ago

It's even harder than that: You need a good technical co-founder that you have good chemistry with.

shay 16y ago
Finding this is hard, especially because we non-techies are likely on a learning curve when we're having substantive discussions with you about the evolution of our product. But I think that as long as we're informed on technology (opportunities and hurdles) and have truly crystallized some initial business plan, I think we're better poised to experience that essential chemistry.

rguzman 16y ago

Not only that, but what makes a good technical co-founder depends on the business. Le sigh, co-founder dating is hard.

rogerjin 16y ago
True... recognizing a good technical co-founder is half the battle

Reclix 16y ago

I agree with you, Matt - I wouldn't want to just pick the first technical cofounder that could dazzle me with jargon I haven't heard. I'm a business type, and I absolutely believe that business types with great ideas and hypotheses they want to test can hire a team to get their minimum viable product off the ground, for a very reasonable price. And, if skilled at product development, they can get quite far on this track. Yes, of course you want to partner with a great technical co-founder, but how do you expect to attract such a hero without having proven your worth, the viability of your idea, etc. What's a bit frustrating about this post is that it's going to paralyze a lot of perfectly good business folks with the ingenuity to get it going on their own first. I'm not saying that hiring a team is a long term strategy, but in the short term? HELL YES! YOU CAN DO IT!