Ask HN: How to build a software product without a technical co-founder?

I would strongly suggest finding one. I have worked as a contractor for several startups building MVPs. A common theme I saw was 2 marketing/sales guys getting taken advantage of by unscrupulous/unqualified offshore outsourcing firms. They burned a lot of money and then hired my company to start over and do it right. A technical cofounder would either be able to build much of the product or when hiring should be able to spot these missteps early on.

The problem with side projects (often even with startups) is not the product. It's finding a reachable market, one you can easily tell about your product. Once you have located a accessible market, you can hire someone with appropriate domain knowledge to identify and create the product. You could even offer them limited ownership participation if they are good enough. Again, don't worry about the product. Worry about the market.

There are many options for validating product ideas without building software in the traditional sense. If you've done something like that already, there are no/low code options that might get you to an MVP. I'm working on something that would help you down the line, though my initial target market is developers...

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Good luck!

don't.

Because if you can't convince someone about the product now you won't be able when selling it either.