
Ask HN: Where can I find technical co-founders? - nick_bristol
Can anyone help me out with some advice on this?<p>I need to find technical co-founders as I am a sales and marketing focused business owner £2M t&#x2F;o.<p>Technical co-founders in the UK (near Bristol) would be ideal as that is where I am based, but I might consider people in the Valley as we may end up there anyway.<p>My business idea is focused on a concept that would eventually render my own business model redundant.<p>I don&#x27;t need work done for free - I am happy to employ someone to de-risk their time investment and I already have 2 investors who will fund us.  However, I will self fund for as long as possible.<p>Any advice is gratefully received.<p>Thanks.<p>Nick
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Codhisattva
Flat out hire a technical advisor. Don't bother dangling equity, just pay
their rate like you would an attorney - retainer + hourly. Ask them to create
a technical roadmap and architecture. With that in hand you can then find a
first employee to implement it.

In this way, you can leverage the expensive expertise of a very senior level
person where it's most needed and then hire a less experienced and less
expensive individual to perform the daily work.

It's like building a house, hire an architect first, but then a general
contractor to make it happen.

~~~
shaded2
I would recommend this as well. but i see no reason why this person cannot be
your cofounder. If you are building a software based company it would help to
have a technical cofounder with a vested interest.

You don't sound like a traditional start-up, so most of the advice form
startup school may not apply to you. You probably don't need someone who
actually writes code day to day. I would get someone with high level expertise
in building and running technical teams who can start from one developer and
scale up. That person will lay out your technical infrastructure while you
focus on the business side of things. This is definitely not an easy find, and
is harder than finding some smart student who wants to play with latest
technology x that does not fit well with your business plan.

I'm @shaded2 on twitter if you want to chat more

~~~
Codhisattva
Co-founder usually means "compensated with more equity than cash". And there's
also the implicit massive time commitment.

Part of the point is that an advisor is typically someone so experienced you
can't afford all of their time. But they can turn enough of the problem into
routine bits and pieces that it becomes easier for a person with less
experience to implement correctly.

I believe all too many startups suffer from inexperienced developers throwing
up the first thing that comes to mind. A little guidance goes a long way to
taming youthful exuberance.

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robinwarren
Hi Nick,

SWFounders meetup in Bristol is a good place to start
[http://www.meetup.com/sw-founders/](http://www.meetup.com/sw-founders/). It
seems to attract a couple senior devs looking for an opportunity when I've
been there.

Secondly, feel free to drop me an email (freebananas at gmail). I run
[http://www.meetup.com/Bristol-and-area-CTO-
meetup/](http://www.meetup.com/Bristol-and-area-CTO-meetup/). If you can give
me some more details I occasionally find out if someone is looking for
something.

~~~
nick_bristol
Thanks Robin, I'll sign up and pop in.

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Scribblenaut9
You should check out ycombinator's startup class. (It's free)
[http://startupclass.samaltman.com](http://startupclass.samaltman.com)
According to them, your better off with no cofounder than some random person
you meet online. Ideally though, you should have someone you've known for many
years.

~~~
rajensanghvi
As a follow up, here are the highlights of the lessons taught in that class
and what to look for: [https://medium.com/how-to-start-a-startup/65-quotes-
from-sam...](https://medium.com/how-to-start-a-startup/65-quotes-from-sam-
altman-on-startup-teams-co-founding-and-hiring-5cfadf4dc69e)

~~~
nick_bristol
I am all over that - I have not seen it because I have been working the past
week but now I have got a day off I am going to smash through all of the
lectures: expecting great things!

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acjohnson55
Hire somebody as a senior engineer at market rate, and if you're happy with
their leadership, you can convert them to a senior position and/or upgrade
them to a cofounder. But you'll want to see if they can architect your tech
stack and build and lead a team first before you marry them.

~~~
nick_bristol
I agree - finding the right people is one of the hardest parts of running a
team.

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rachelandrew
Bristol has a pretty good startup scene (I've recently moved here). Have you
checked out some of the local networking and support groups? There is some
stuff concentrated around Engine Shed [http://www.engine-
shed.co.uk/](http://www.engine-shed.co.uk/)

If you have finances you could always employ someone in a CTO type role rather
than take on a co-founder.

If I were in your position I think I would define what I actually need of this
additional senior person. Consider what skills they should have, what input
you want of them. Then start chatting to people - if you find someone who
seems ideal then you can can find out what kind of terms they would be willing
to come on board under.

~~~
nick_bristol
Thanks! - I will check out engine shed. I plan to sit down and write out a
spec sometime this week

------
carterschonwald
Interview lots of people and make it clear that they'll actually get paid.
Takes work to get to know folks.

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lise_s
Hi Nick,

I would recommend taking your time to select your co-founder. I believe it is
not only about finding someone that loves your idea, and that has matching
technical skills.

Sharing equity with someone, even if you can provide the security of an
income, is like entering a marriage. Any confusion, lack of communication,
conflicts (and there will be no matter what) will impact your team (this comes
from a start-up team member that witnessed poor decision-making due to a lack
of cooperation between founders).

Make sure you both have a similar vision of entrepreneurship and take your
time to work with the person so you can both experiment difficulties together
and see if you trust your co-founder.

You can find contractors to get you started (with an open-source framework
like web2py so that your CTO will easily be able to pick up the work).

I have applied this to my project, selected potential tech co-founders because
I enjoyed working with them on various occasions (work, school, start-up week-
ends ...) and asked for small, paid tasks that a mentor verified for me. It is
supposed to be the hardest part in entrepreneurship so I wish you the best
going forward on this search for your co-founder.

I know Europe has less Tech/Start-up events to attend (I live in France) but
if you can I would recommend networking, meeting as many programmers as you
can. There are a lot of events registered on Meetup.com in London.
[http://www.meetup.com/cities/gb/17/london/tech/](http://www.meetup.com/cities/gb/17/london/tech/)

Good luck !

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decentrality
If you are looking for a co-founder and not a contractor for-hire, then it is
important to source one from within your closest contacts. Ideally, choose a
good friend.

Not only does the co-founder need to share your vision, they need to
tolerate/accept/embrace you personally, and you them. You will go through
tough times together.

If you prefer to call the shots and carry the burden of founding, then don't
get a co-founder: just retain and pay a contractor, as many others have said
here. It's good advice.

The illusion of a co-founder is debilitating for startups. Every founder must
be putting in devoted work. It's a gunny-sack race they're in, not a baton-
race, not a solo-marathon/sprint.

So find someone close to you who appreciates you personally, otherwise, hire
an expert.

~~~
nick_bristol
You are right - I founded my current business with two friends and now only
one of them is left! So I know about the grind and the importance of strong
relationships.

My instinct is that if I don't have that relationship with a technical co-
founder before we start then I would be in a better position to hire in and
mitigate the risk of getting in bed with someone prematurely.

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DenisM
Prepare a compelling explanation for what your proposed market is, and what
you bring to the table (connections, sales experience, management experience,
capital, etc)

Go to a place where technical folk and startups hang out, such as a coworking
space or regular meetups. Talk to people, see if you can help anyone with an
introduction or an insight. Be sure to mention what kind of person you're
looking for.

Network with the people who know everyone (e.g. Manager of the coworking
space, local startup bloggers, service providers). Be sure to mention be sure
to mention whom you are looking for. If you do something for them, they will
remember you better.

Eventually one of those people will meet someone you need, and they will
remember to intoruce you.

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fsk
If you already have a semi-established business, you are looking for an
employee and not a co-founder. "Looking for a technical co-founder" implies
you are starting a brand new business, not looking to bring someone in to an
established business.

~~~
nick_bristol
My intention when I posted was to leave my existing business to run itself and
to apply to YC W15 to found a new business.

Having reflected on the advice and the fact I don't have a technical co-
founder I know and trust implicitly I am going to go down the route of hiring
a competent technical advisor to PM this for me with sub-contracted work.

------
jaoued
My advice. 1. Try to get your MVP out asap with a young tech
graduate/internship/ from Bristol University CS department. It will give you
time & opportunity to find what you are looking for. Forget meeting technical
co-founders like you would date people online. You have more chance of winning
in the casino that meeting your tech partner online. Best you start solo than
chasing first your tech co-founder.

2\. Use your network as I am sure you must be linked to some great
folks/friends.

You have to think as your co-founder (tech or not) as your most important
relationship before hire, customers and also definitely investors. All the
best.

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yosheeck
Nick, I have a small IT business in Southampton with a branch in Poland (for
cost efficiency). I've got good references, 10+ year of experience and more.
Mail me if you want to talk - y@ke.mu

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orky56
I recently started Cofound Hound, a mailing list service for finding co-
founders based purely on mutual matches.

You sign up & get a list of people that might be a good fit. They get a
similar list weekly (with you & others on it). If there's shared interest, we
intro you two. That's it. Meet them, work on something with them, whatever.

With FounderDating and CofoundersLab, your profile goes stale or you get
spammed. No more.

[http://www.cofoundhound.com](http://www.cofoundhound.com)

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binocarlos
Hi,

Not sure I'm looking to start a new project BUT I am technical, in Bristol and
would be happy to meet and say hello - email in profile

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pastaking
Hey nick_bristol, read your bio, I love the market you're in (security in oil
& gas and maritime markets), would you be open to working with someone from
Canada?

~~~
nick_bristol
Thanks mate, I need to work with someone face to face on this one. Canada is a
little cold for me!

------
systemtrigger
> I don't need work done for free - I am happy to employ someone ...

Then you want a contractor not a cofounder. One trades time for cash, the
other for equity. To hire a contractor, google "hire a coder" then describe
your requirements and cash reward on the sites that appear in the search
results. If you really want a technical founder, become one:
[http://blog.samaltman.com/non-technical-founder-learn-to-
hac...](http://blog.samaltman.com/non-technical-founder-learn-to-hack)

------
haniqassim
Hi Nick. I am looking for a business partner and I am technology focused. My
email is hani.qassim@lukemani.com

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obiefernandez
Reach out to me. I'm a contract CTO/Co-founder and I can probably help you
obiefernandez@gmail.com

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stevoo
hi ... i am not from bristol but that means nothing. i am technical founder.
please send me an email if you want to discuss more.

i am looking to start a new project as my last one was completed

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kordless
What is the t/o stand for after the 2M?

~~~
alasdair_
Turnover presumably.

In the UK it means the same as revenue in the US.

------
soneca
That is a tough question, as startup advice out there is "look between your
friends". This is the same as saying "sorry if you didn't go to a top CS
college to have smart developers friends. There is nothing you can do". Sam
Altman in his last startup class went as far as to say that non-tech people
have no business founding a tech business, quoting "software people should
found software companies, media eople should found media company". I found
that a little bit sad to hear.

Anyway, my advice. Start with "freelance-as-a-test-to-CTO contract". But the
secret is to find a developer who is not a freelancer. Freelancers already
made their mind, they don't want to be a CTO, they will treat your contract as
any other job, probably not even prioritize yours.

You must find a non-freelancer developer with an interest to start a start-up.
Maybe a guy with a dayjob who needs the paycheck and can't afford to quit it,
or some other who already failed in one or two of his own ideas. Or a young
smart developer who is still lookong for his idea of a startup.

Finding the right profile, you must deal with the agreement the right way. You
must convince the developer that your idea has the potencial to be big. You
must value his time and pay a reasonable fee. I think the right one won't
charge the top market he would if he was a freelancer. He _must_ gain other
thngs than money with the job. Learning mostly. Learning about a code, as he
will build a software from scratch, probably learnng new tech. Also learning
how a business is built. If it fails he must be better prepared to startup his
own thing, for example. That is the hard thing to get with freelancers. They
will accept your proposal only for the money. You will never know if they are
really interested in being part of your business for real. This is become a
100% certainty if you are outsourcing to a software factory or remote
freelance, so don't even consider about it. I would start with an hourly fee,
i think it is better for a test than a fulltime hire. Sometimes might be even
irresponsible to hire a developer to such an only-idea startup. Too risky.

Hire the guy to make the MVP with an hourly fee. This way you will know if the
guy is good, if you work well together, if you cmmunicate well. He will also
know if it is something he wants to dive in. So this would be the freelancer
as a test to CTO.

Now, actualy answering the qustion to where find it. I don't believe in
startup events or regular networking for this. You hire the more outspken and
available developer, not the right one. A good tip that worked for me is to
keep an eye for this guys that show up at HN front page with a technical post
or a Show HN. Rule out the very experient and famous developers who are
regulars to HN front page. Search for the new, unknown guy who did something
bright (HN upvotes are a great filter from tech guys for this). At the Show HN
rule out the full formed startups, look, again, for the new, unknown guy who
built something great as a side project.

If you have experience in the field, a good idea and money to fund (and a
willingness to go to SV), i think you are in good position to attract the top
talent that appear here.

Also, look for someone in "Who is hiring" Hn thread ( _definitely not_ at
"Needs a freelancer?" thread).

~~~
doctorcroc
[Sam Altman in his last startup class went as far as to say that non-tech
people have no business founding a tech business, quoting "software people
should found software companies, media eople should found media company". I
found that a little bit sad to hear.]

If that were the case, we wouldn't have the largest IPO in history because
Jack Ma would have been unqualified to start Alibaba.

~~~
dmritard96
There will always be exceptions to the rule. But I believe sam was speaking
with respect to high level observations from YC. Statistically speaking he is
probably right.

------
rays123
DM me at @kpatel79 on twitter and I will be able to point you in right
direction.

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thegenius
TLDR; Show you are willing to put in _effort_ and _labor_ aside from
generating ideas/spending/raising capital

Hi Nick -

I can speak for myself. I am a primarily technical, sole founder of a 3+ years
profitable company who had to develop the business know-how along the way.

With the ability to see both sides, what I've found is the business-side
components are _equally_ as important as the technical components; that is,
neither can live without the other. But here's the rub: The technical side is
a thousand times more laborious to become proficient at, and there's not even
a comparison.

If you're able to take that with more than a grain of salt, it implies while
your contributions are equally as important as a technical co-founders to the
overall business' success - the technical co-founder is not likely to see it
that way because they won't be looking at things in terms of value (which is
what matters most from the business man's point of view) but in terms of value
+ effort.

The way you can make developers feel good about working with you is to
emphasize something aside from money (risk) to contribute which shows you will
be putting in a substantial amount of effort which then has tangible,
measurable results. For example, if you are a good writer and willing to write
lots of content for SEO.

You say you are a sales and marketing focused person, so really stress what it
is you will be doing work-wise that will compel the technical co-founder to
want to work with you. Will you be cold-calling 100 people with a 5 percent
conversion rate every day? Will you be spending 4 hours a day using X, Y, and
Z tool to come up with keyword permutations for AdWords campaigns? Will you be
reaching out to a minimum of 3 potential affiliate / rev-share partners a day
to maximize those types of relationships? Show what makes you good at what you
do and the effort you will be putting forth to achieve your results.

~~~
nick_bristol
Thanks for your advice. I can see the rub for a technical person being asked
for the moon and then left to deliver it whilst non-tech waits around for
something to happen. I am trending towards employing a technical advisor to
structure what needs to be done and then to bring people in to do the work.
Your comment really underlines how the technical side are going to feel about
the non-tech; and that is something I hadn't appreciated.

~~~
thegenius
Sure thing. It won't be as much of a problem so long as it's an employment
agreement. My comments really only apply under a co-founder arrangement.

