Hey Cloe,
You do not have to hire a co-founder. You do not need the expense and emotional investment at this stage.
You can hire a partner to help you, remotely, for a fraction of the cost. I would look into a virtual CTO kind of arrangement, and that is what my company does.
I am not trying to advertise, but I feel like what we do is exactly along the lines of what you are looking for. And if not, the only time you lose is an hour of chatting with us on the phone about your goals. Feel free to look us up at dabblelab.com and schedule a phone meeting. We can help point you in the right direction.

I hope to hear from you soon,

Valera