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Tips on Finding a Technical Co-Founder (for the non-programmer)

11 points by mikesabat 19y ago

chaostheory 19y ago
I think his list needs some additions: "4. Start Without Your Co-Founder." Learn to program while you start developing the idea. One of the main fears/complaints of programmers in startups (without funding) is "will I be doing the majority of the work while everyone else is sitting pretty?" Even if you (think) that you still suck - it'll still win you respect, not to even your start is off and running. Personally "programming" to me includes good knowledge of UI related stuff like css AND javascript, both of which the typical hacker knows little of (at least in my experience hackers typically suck at implementing and designing UI). If you have knowledge of that - probably no real need to learn python, ruby, or x language... "5. Bring Something With You" Expertise in the domain of your industry is a given... funding (or your own money) if you're not willing to even try to program is even nicer. If you don't have any of the previous things I just mentioned then your name better be recognizable at least in the blogosphere (say Merlin Mann, Om Malik, ...) because if not, the hacker is going to question your value proposition...
- mikesabat 19y ago
  Agreed. I'm really speaking to the people that I meet and the people posing the question on YC News. If your name is Om Malik, you don't need to look to far to find a programmer that is willing to help. As for learning to program - it's a great idea, but I would fully develop the business model, marketing plan, site map and probably 10 other things before I suggest someone start from scratch learning HTML.
  - chaostheory 19y ago
    While it's important doing the biz model/marketing plan, the idea is going to change/evolve anyway... with two weeks of hard work that stuff will need minimal maintenance after that... Unless the idea needs a lot of business development (eg direct sales), programming is a good next step (by programming I'm also loosely including UI development)
  - breck 19y ago
    I disagree. I think if you can't program, you shouldn't be starting a tech company. (Unless you worked for a Google, MSFT, etc in a non-tech role & have great tech contacts) Just like if you've never used a hammer, you shouldn't start a construction company.
    - mikesabat 19y ago
      Really? I think that is rather closed minded. Obviously there are different levels of "tech" companies, but I feel the promise of open source software is to see more diverse applications of that software = more diverse business ideas. If marketing people can't build tech companies should coders be allowed to market their websites?
- edw519 19y ago
  "Learn to program while you start developing the idea." I understand the spirit of this advice, but sorry, I don't buy it. Now is not the time for non-programmers to learn programming. I'll have enough work to do without refactoring your garbage. If you want to pencil up screens, flowcharts, or schemas, then do just that - use a pencil. There are 2 better solutions to the "majority of the work" issue. Either get multiple experienced developers or give me more equity. See how easy.
  - chaostheory 19y ago
    Good point, but most programmers are clueless on the UI side anyways and would be happy to offload that stuff "There are 2 better solutions to the "majority of the work" issue. Either get multiple experienced developers or give me more equity. See how easy." a ton of ideas sound "easy" until u actually start doing them... since the issue is how to attract even one technical person, i think your 1st solution is easier said than done... your 2nd idea is a lot more realistic but 100% of nothing implemented is still 100% of nothing (until some work is put in)...
    - edw519 19y ago
      I offered an "easy" solution to the "majority of the work" business issue, not an easy solution to doing the work. Sorry for the misunderstanding. "most programmers are clueless on the UI side anyways and would be happy to offload that stuff" Where are you meeting programmers? This statement is troubling to me on multiple levels. A web app is a holistic organism. "Offloading" or decoupling UI from server side processing is a recipe for an incongruent app. Maybe you need to find less clueless programmers.
      - chaostheory 19y ago
        ""Offloading" or decoupling UI from server side processing is a recipe for an incongruent app." that's a major generalization/assumption it really depends on the technologies you're using and your team; not everything is built using rails besides we have web services now and isn't it good practice to decouple the view layer anyway (as little logic as possible)? I mean in many companies there are completely separate teams that handle just ui or serverside tasks
yagibear 19y ago
Any tips on finding a NON-technical co-founder?
- mikesabat 19y ago
  Yes, Great question. I was planning on writing that as the next post.
- Prrometheus 19y ago
  What are ya doing? Need an ex-I Banker?
menloparkbum 19y ago
Here are some real tips: 1. Have a lot of money 2. Be famous already (also rich, see 1) 3. Give away at least 45% of the company 4. Don't be a douche
- mikesabat 19y ago
  With these qualities you don't need to find a programmer, they find you. If you have money and a name you aren't looking for a co-founder, you're looking for an employee.
- sanj 19y ago
  I'm going to ignore 1&2 because they're snarky and unhelpful. And I have zero personal interest in making the rich richer. But the last two are valid points. The balance of power has changed. PHBs looking for technically brilliant but real-life-stupid engineers are going to fail. To lure talented tech away, you're going to have to pay for it. A lot. The subtext I read into the plaintive pleas about "I can't find a technical cofounder" is "who will work for a pittance, both in money and options." Which is what #4 is saying. To hire brilliant coders, you have to treat them like equals, if not more than equals given that they have the mad skillz.

11 points by mikesabat 19y ago

I think his list needs some additions: "4. Start Without Your Co-Founder." Learn to program while you start developing the idea. One of the main fears/complaints of programmers in startups (without funding) is "will I be doing the majority of the work while everyone else is sitting pretty?" Even if you (think) that you still suck - it'll still win you respect, not to even your start is off and running. Personally "programming" to me includes good knowledge of UI related stuff like css AND javascript, both of which the typical hacker knows little of (at least in my experience hackers typically suck at implementing and designing UI). If you have knowledge of that - probably no real need to learn python, ruby, or x language... "5. Bring Something With You" Expertise in the domain of your industry is a given... funding (or your own money) if you're not willing to even try to program is even nicer. If you don't have any of the previous things I just mentioned then your name better be recognizable at least in the blogosphere (say Merlin Mann, Om Malik, ...) because if not, the hacker is going to question your value proposition...

mikesabat 19y ago
Agreed. I'm really speaking to the people that I meet and the people posing the question on YC News. If your name is Om Malik, you don't need to look to far to find a programmer that is willing to help. As for learning to program - it's a great idea, but I would fully develop the business model, marketing plan, site map and probably 10 other things before I suggest someone start from scratch learning HTML.
- chaostheory 19y ago
  While it's important doing the biz model/marketing plan, the idea is going to change/evolve anyway... with two weeks of hard work that stuff will need minimal maintenance after that... Unless the idea needs a lot of business development (eg direct sales), programming is a good next step (by programming I'm also loosely including UI development)
- breck 19y ago
  I disagree. I think if you can't program, you shouldn't be starting a tech company. (Unless you worked for a Google, MSFT, etc in a non-tech role & have great tech contacts) Just like if you've never used a hammer, you shouldn't start a construction company.
  - mikesabat 19y ago
    Really? I think that is rather closed minded. Obviously there are different levels of "tech" companies, but I feel the promise of open source software is to see more diverse applications of that software = more diverse business ideas. If marketing people can't build tech companies should coders be allowed to market their websites?
edw519 19y ago
"Learn to program while you start developing the idea." I understand the spirit of this advice, but sorry, I don't buy it. Now is not the time for non-programmers to learn programming. I'll have enough work to do without refactoring your garbage. If you want to pencil up screens, flowcharts, or schemas, then do just that - use a pencil. There are 2 better solutions to the "majority of the work" issue. Either get multiple experienced developers or give me more equity. See how easy.
- chaostheory 19y ago
  Good point, but most programmers are clueless on the UI side anyways and would be happy to offload that stuff "There are 2 better solutions to the "majority of the work" issue. Either get multiple experienced developers or give me more equity. See how easy." a ton of ideas sound "easy" until u actually start doing them... since the issue is how to attract even one technical person, i think your 1st solution is easier said than done... your 2nd idea is a lot more realistic but 100% of nothing implemented is still 100% of nothing (until some work is put in)...
  - edw519 19y ago
    I offered an "easy" solution to the "majority of the work" business issue, not an easy solution to doing the work. Sorry for the misunderstanding. "most programmers are clueless on the UI side anyways and would be happy to offload that stuff" Where are you meeting programmers? This statement is troubling to me on multiple levels. A web app is a holistic organism. "Offloading" or decoupling UI from server side processing is a recipe for an incongruent app. Maybe you need to find less clueless programmers.
    - chaostheory 19y ago
      ""Offloading" or decoupling UI from server side processing is a recipe for an incongruent app." that's a major generalization/assumption it really depends on the technologies you're using and your team; not everything is built using rails besides we have web services now and isn't it good practice to decouple the view layer anyway (as little logic as possible)? I mean in many companies there are completely separate teams that handle just ui or serverside tasks

yagibear 19y ago

Any tips on finding a NON-technical co-founder?

mikesabat 19y ago
Yes, Great question. I was planning on writing that as the next post.
Prrometheus 19y ago
What are ya doing? Need an ex-I Banker?

menloparkbum 19y ago

Here are some real tips: 1. Have a lot of money 2. Be famous already (also rich, see 1) 3. Give away at least 45% of the company 4. Don't be a douche

mikesabat 19y ago
With these qualities you don't need to find a programmer, they find you. If you have money and a name you aren't looking for a co-founder, you're looking for an employee.
sanj 19y ago
I'm going to ignore 1&2 because they're snarky and unhelpful. And I have zero personal interest in making the rich richer. But the last two are valid points. The balance of power has changed. PHBs looking for technically brilliant but real-life-stupid engineers are going to fail. To lure talented tech away, you're going to have to pay for it. A lot. The subtext I read into the plaintive pleas about "I can't find a technical cofounder" is "who will work for a pittance, both in money and options." Which is what #4 is saying. To hire brilliant coders, you have to treat them like equals, if not more than equals given that they have the mad skillz.