How to find a technical co-founder in National Service or…anywhere else really.
I met my technical co-founder while in NS, I’ve left that story out and I’ll probably get to writing it one day.
People always ask me how I got so lucky to have met my one-true partner while serving National Service (NS), I usually reply with a typical ‘Luck. Hah.’
As with any origin story, things are a lot more complicated as to how we started Munch. I am lucky in that my co-founder is truly top-class when it comes to his craft. He has won so many programming awards (Yup, it’s a thing) that it takes time for him to remember them all. He built micro-services that are used by millions of users till this day BEFORE enlisting. All of this means that as the non-technical founder I had to immediately get good, find out things I don’t even know I didn’t know (not a typo) and study those topics like hell. Good technical people get offers to build the ‘next big thing’ all the time. This begs the question — if he’s so good, why hast thou blest me to be thy co-founder?
I decided to write this post for two reasons. Firstly, I want to give some insight into how I ended up as the non-technical co-founder of a company that does over a million points of data aggregation using machine learning (ML) and how other non-technical entrepreneurs may find their technical partner (so you can start that awesome app idea of yours).
Secondly, I want to document this journey as we are FAR from being a successful startup but in all honesty, have no doubts that we will get there. We are still in our very early growth stage with some semblance of Product-Market Fit (PMF). Do keep in mind, dear reader, that the words I type are not gospel and to scrutinise the things I say instead of taking it wholesale.
So what do you need?
1. Get good, really f*cking good at everything else.
Good engineers have a low tolerance for inefficiency and bullshit. They’ll sniff out your inadequacy in a second. As the non-technical founder, you better be able to handle product management, growth, hiring, admin, the intern crying, the thrash in the bin. Everything. Not because they’re kings and you’re the subservient court jester hoping to be thrown some equity. It’s because of the sheer complexity they have to deal with that you’ll never understand. And there will be things you do that they can never pull off. Which leads me to point 2.
2. Be able to present, speak and negotiate — ice & Eskimos, baby.
It is a cliche for a reason. Many engineers do not like dealing with the sales aspect of a startup. I don’t mean sales in the narrow sense of product sales. You have to sell the vision to get talent, you have to sell to the investor, you have to sell the dream to your team in order to keep everyone motivated. Build your oratorical skills, pick up improv, learn to dazzle a crowd with the way you pitch.
3. Complement them in thought
Beyond topical areas of expertise, engineers tend to think in a methodical and procedural way. It’s not a blanket statement of course. It’s an observation I have made after working with this engineer for so long. Learn to think from multiple perspectives by understanding the underlying epistemological rationale, not just ontological ones. I have proposed solutions to engineering problems by extrapolating the issue and applying root-cause analysis. Your unique perspective gained from a different field can illuminate the way to a good solution.
4. Reduce cognitive load
Your technical co-founder should be coding. Not deciding the type of chairs the office should have. Do not rope him or her into your thought process about how to calculate the interest payment on the proposed convertible note. It’s all about comparative advantage here. Maximise each of your areas of expertise and don’t sit down for useless meetings every day to discuss things you should already know.
5. Autodidacticism..auto what..?
If you don’t know a word, Google it. What I’ve learnt is that great engineers have a self-directed feedback loop on how to improve. They know how, where and when to search for information in order to improve their skillset. This meta-skill is especially important because they can’t pause to explain to you every technical detail. If you find a thread, pull it and follow. Go down the Wikipedia rabbit hole to find out things you don’t know. DevOps is not a first-person shooter.
6. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature
As mentioned, great technical people have many virtual carrots sitting in their LinkedIn inbox. When you meet a potential technical co-founder, you must be able to attract them due to your sheer competence in all other areas. In fact, your lack of coding skills is not on trial here. It’s your undeniable knowledge of everything else, the autodidactic attitude and the humility to know you lack programming ability that comes together to present your case.
7. Go out and shake the right hands
Having done all necessary attitudinal and skill upgrades, you have to go out and shake hands. But shake the right ones. I’ve attended countless startup events and met my fair share of people — technical and not. Doing your homework saves you time. Research which events techies go to. You will only get a chance to work with great people if you put yourself out there and test where you stand.
8. ‘You can keep that luck shit in your pocket.’ — Gary Vaynerchuk
Really? A Gary V quote? Yes. Sitting there hoping the 1995 equivalent of Mark Zuckerberg will be your roommate in University is pure fantasy. Ask people you know, tap on connections, do the homework. Don’t just post on Instagram asking if anybody knows how to build an app. Go deeper than that. Ask that friend who studied that thing in that place who may know a guy who knows a girl. Luck isn’t going to slap you across the face, you’re going to have to provoke it.
In conclusion, it has a lot more to do with you than them. If you’re good, they’ll be glad they found you as their complement. Many people have this idea that the moment they find a guy who can code, they’ll be building the next unicorn. You’ll be doing a lot more than just writing articles on Medium, I promise you.
