Non-technical entrepreneurs we meet are often eager to find a technical founder as soon as possible. Problem is, you can’t simply pick the first software developer in your network as your CTO. We all know the most important factor that drives the success of startups is team. It is top on Paul Graham’s list, and that’s where it should be on yours too. Bringing someone you do not know well on board is likely to be a recipe for disaster.
As opposed to putting your project on the backburner until you miraculously meet that technical cofounder, here are some things you can do in the interim:
1. Demonstrate traction
Software developers come in all shapes and sizes. A lot are bad. Few are badass. Badass developers hate waiting around for their non-technical partners to get their act together. They have a line of people knocking on their doors with the 'next big thing'. They don’t want 50% equity in an idea that is not proven.
The best thing you can do to attract a good technical founder is to demonstrate that your product has traction. By demonstrating traction, I don’t just mean conducting a survey and getting nods of approval from people. You need to be able to prove quantitatively that people will pay for your idea. Better yet, find a paying customer.
2. Go lean
Almost all Silicon Valley startups run lean these days. This has not caught on with many entrepreneurs we speak to in Asia. At Altitude, one of the things we advocate is to start with a minimum viable product. An MVP allows you to show off your idea to people and potential customers at minimum cost. It allows you to gather and respond to your customers' needs. Ultimately, that will help you develop that killer product with the least amount of time and resources.
3. Understand development
If you want developers on your team, it helps to understand how the development process works.
Good software development is a slow, expensive and iterative process. It takes countless rewrites to come up with great code. Bugs are inevitable. The initial product is never perfect. That’s the nature of the industry even at the highest level.
At Altitude, we work super hard to ensure we deliver great products to our customers. We want to build things that run and can scale well. That doesn't mean we don't make mistakes. It just means we're ready to fix them quickly when they happen.
4. Tell the World
Being secretive about your idea is for the most part counterproductive. Truly original ideas are extremely, extremely rare. If you can think of an idea, chances are many others have thought of the same idea too. Being open about your idea allows you to speak to potential customers and find out if your product is addressing a real need. It also increases the likelihood of being introduced to a technical founder or people who could help you.
5. Outsource
You don't necessarily need to hire internally to get to your MVP. It takes time and patience to build the right tech team. Your time initially might be better spent out there talking to customers and understanding what they want. It'll help you get to the product you need to get funding and traction. In such situations, outsourcing your MVP to a team of engineers who understand your vision and believe in your product is a viable option.