Ask HN: Thoughts on non technical co-founders?

[benofsky]

I've often pondered the idea of what a non-technical co-founder could/would be like (for a web/software startup), someone to do everything else. Does anyone have any experience with this? If so how did/does it work out?

Edit: fixed grammar, took out a verb by accident

[BobN]

It's a crap shoot. Just like starting a business is. I was the technical-guy (CTO)/co-founder with a "business" partner (CEO) many years ago. All went well for the first few years, but as we grew he was unable to move from the entrepreneurial role and let the organization grow. His micromanagement doomed an attempted expansion into a larger market and the company floundered because of it.

Getting a company off the ground takes very different skills than what is necessary for growing a management team and developing real business strategies. It’s kind of a catch-22 - you need the entrepreneur to get started, but once you get there he or she may not be the right person to get you to the next level.