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I would say hang out with other hackers at meetups. You just dont wanna join a startup based on their ideas or skills. You wanna make sure its a good fit for yo

by xoail 14y ago

I would say hang out with other hackers at meetups. You just dont wanna join a startup based on their ideas or skills. You wanna make sure its a good fit for you and the team you join. Hang out with people, hack with them at hackathons, meetups etc. Once you find a team/individual that is good fit for beers, build a small product together and ship it without the mess of any partnership/equities/llc.

mattgerboth 14y ago
Trust me, I have tried. I went to countless meetups and hackathons and its harder to find people than you think it is.
- slap_shot 14y ago
  I really do not mean for this to be offensive, but I understand how it can be (and I almost expect it to be interpreted that way) but I feel obligated to tell you this. Your excuse is pretty weak. You've "tried meeting technical founders and hackathons, but its harder than we think." That's just weak. You have to realize that you're within a forum of people that are very passionate and good at what they do. I really don't think anybody in the HN community is looking for a non-technical co-founder who is essentially saying they can't convince hackers, in person, at hackathons to bet on you. If your rational was that you believe in HN users more than just a guy you can meet at a hackathon (not a bad approach, by the way), then you'd have merit. But your explanation basically suggests that you've been shot down hackathons, so now you're here to pick up a co-founder. I'm not suggesting that finding a co-founder on HN is unheard of, nor that it is a bad idea (I particularly liked Coinbase's attempt merely days before the HN application deadline). But this whole presentation sounds unimpressive. Lastly, having played point in both the non-technical and a technical founder roles, I'd suggest that you drop "I've tried but its harder than you think" line from your lexicon. Paul Graham has a succinct essay on this, but being a good founder is about being relentlessly resourceful. While you may have tried, and it my be harder than anyone thinks it is, both points are irrelevant. You jut have to do it. And you can't, or don't, you'll just be forgotten about. I wish you the best of luck.

by xoail 14y ago

mattgerboth 14y ago

Trust me, I have tried. I went to countless meetups and hackathons and its harder to find people than you think it is.

slap_shot 14y ago
I really do not mean for this to be offensive, but I understand how it can be (and I almost expect it to be interpreted that way) but I feel obligated to tell you this. Your excuse is pretty weak. You've "tried meeting technical founders and hackathons, but its harder than we think." That's just weak. You have to realize that you're within a forum of people that are very passionate and good at what they do. I really don't think anybody in the HN community is looking for a non-technical co-founder who is essentially saying they can't convince hackers, in person, at hackathons to bet on you. If your rational was that you believe in HN users more than just a guy you can meet at a hackathon (not a bad approach, by the way), then you'd have merit. But your explanation basically suggests that you've been shot down hackathons, so now you're here to pick up a co-founder. I'm not suggesting that finding a co-founder on HN is unheard of, nor that it is a bad idea (I particularly liked Coinbase's attempt merely days before the HN application deadline). But this whole presentation sounds unimpressive. Lastly, having played point in both the non-technical and a technical founder roles, I'd suggest that you drop "I've tried but its harder than you think" line from your lexicon. Paul Graham has a succinct essay on this, but being a good founder is about being relentlessly resourceful. While you may have tried, and it my be harder than anyone thinks it is, both points are irrelevant. You jut have to do it. And you can't, or don't, you'll just be forgotten about. I wish you the best of luck.