Tips on Finding a Technical Co-Founder (for the non-programmer)
shelfmade.wordpress.com
shelfmade.wordpress.com
"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...
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.
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)
Just like if you've never used a hammer, you shouldn't start a construction company.
If marketing people can't build tech companies should coders be allowed to market their websites?
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.
"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)...
"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.
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
And it shows.
That's so wrong on many levels. Quit watching movies and stereotyping programmers as akward geeks. As a programmer, I know and build UIs, and know usability probably much better that you. The problem is that in a startup there are tons of other much harder things to get done.
You can be more helpful if you can pickup the front end part (XHTML, CSS, Graphics, stock photos, logos), and let your programmer handle the hard stuff (programming the backend, databases, content management).
When I do something for fun, I found out that building the HTML/CSS part of it is not much fun, as it is more just an exercise in trial and frustration than just technically challenging. *unless you are doing advanced javascript programing.
I usually just pick ready made templates, and stock images, so I can concetrate on the harder stuff. Once done with the harder part, then working on replacing the UI with something good, is pretty easy.
and remember, all the good programers want good Equity. When I mead good, I mean distributed equaly to the amount of work they do. Nobody wants to do the hard stuff, and get less out of it. They will feel they are cheated, and not appreciated (one of the reasons some of the founders leave). If all you bring on the table is an idea, then you are not worth that much.
"You can be more helpful if you can pickup the front end part (XHTML, CSS, Graphics, stock photos, logos), and let your programmer handle the hard stuff (programming the backend, databases, content management)."
that's one of the things i meant to say. I guess i just didn't make it clear enough
"When I do something for fun, I found out that building the HTML/CSS part of it is not much fun,"
yes... again I agree programmers either can't or don't like doing ui - sorry i forgot to include the last one
I forgot to add - in most cases UI is not easier than the "hard stuff" (backend)
There's a big difference between rewriting in order to evolve and rewriting just to figure out what you already have.
My worst code is better than most of the garbage I inherit. I don't want a non-programmer coding any more than a fifth grader driving a bus. Wait for an adult.
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
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.