the way that I have approached it, is a bit different and maybe this will help some people.
My background is in online marketing, sales, social media and I have a good business network. I'm not a programmer but I am looking to learn Python / Java. I think its quite a valuable skillset to have being able to program (at least to understand people who are programmers). I have helped out startups in the past because 1) they were my friends 2) that's what I like to get in involved with. I did it voluntarily and helped them out with the skills that I had. I also hang out with developers and some of my really good friends are developers, and I love talking to them about startups and new apps, etc... Sometimes my developer friends approach me and ask me about marketing for their startup and I'm willing to help. And vice versa, if I need some technical help they are also willing to help me. My belief is that I don't think approaching new people and tell them about your idea and asking to be a co-founder really works, unless you know them. Having some kind of relationship, goes a long way if they are going to buy into what you are doing. If I do need a technical co- founder, I know who I can approach, or at least they can give me some high level advice and introduce me to the right people. I'd start by connecting with people that may have the skills you need and give them help in the areas they do not have strong competencies in. On Apr 7, 10:13 am, Ryan Henderson <ryanhe...@googlemail.com> wrote: > Great points. Programmers (collectively) on pedestals is a fair point. I > have worked with some great ones though, and the business knows it! I > have also worked with many programmers, some that you would never put in > front of the business (internal), your customers (external), let alone > form a company with them. > > Your point about CTO is a good one, though I would say not all start-ups > need an experienced CTO. Depends on your business really. A tech > co-founder should demonstrate more than just coding skills though. > > And to be clear, developing software, or in the bigger picture systems, > is much more than just churning code... so don't get coder and > programmer mixed up with a good software/systems developer. In some > businesses you will see, coders, team leaders, business analysts, > project managers, software architects, testers and various other people. > A good SOFTWARE DEVELOPER should have all those traits in some form, > maybe they are not CTO material but they are the type of person that > understands more than just code (Though they should be a master of code > first). Maybe this is the types of person you need as a tech co-founder > (again depends on your business). In my opinion there are lots of > programmers, fewer developers, and even less CTOs. > > Ryan > > On 7/04/11 2:20 AM, pcoll...@cpan.org wrote: > > > > > > > > > I'm finding this thread quite amusing and for some reason it is > > annoying me. I haven't put my finger on why that is yet. I think > > perhaps it is the tendency for many people on this list to put > > "programmers" on a pedestal. As if everybody could one day be Mark > > Zuckerberg. (OK this part was maybe a bit harsh, but I think this > > bubble we're in is creating this holier than thou attitude again). > > > Instead of thinking about it in terms of a "coder". Think about a good > > technical co-founder who is actually an experienced CTO with a > > business mind, not just a coder. The CTO should have enough skills to > > do some initial prototyping. Probably has enough experience to assess > > the risks and rewards of the startup. Can attract great coding talent > > quickly (or if not lead the remote Ukrainian team). If your idea can't > > attract an experienced startup CTO with a good stomach for risk, then > > you're probably riding the wrong horse or in the wrong direction. If > > you can't assess a good CTO from a great coder, then you probably > > can't run a startup either. > > > In my experience other than having watched the social network, most > > coders don't actually get the risk/reward tradeoff of a startup and > > aren't sufficiently rounded to carry their half of a demanding startup > > partnership. Coders are just regular smart people with some coding > > chops, that doesn't make them anymore qualified to join the > > partnership of a startup than my accountant except that they have the > > skills I need to help get it off the ground on day 1 when I have > > little cash. > > > Patrick. > > > On 6 April 2011 06:05, Brendan Quinn <bren...@clueful.com.au > > <mailto:bren...@clueful.com.au>> wrote: > > > On 6 April 2011 07:49, Geoff Langdale <geoff.langd...@gmail.com > > <mailto:geoff.langd...@gmail.com>> wrote: > > > 3. There's no technical prestige associated in having worked for a > > technically dull failed business startup. The vast majority of > > startups are going to fail. If you're a tech guy and you're > > realistic > > about this, go figure out whether you're going to want to work > > for a > > startup that's going to fail that (a) is boring and has no > > technical > > kudos or (b) is technically interesting. Someone who works on a > > technical startup that's a 'noble failure' is going to have > > improved > > their position; someone who works for a 'plug web front end into > > database backend' type role has at best stayed in the same place > > career-wise. > > > Possibly #3 is the point touched on the least. A lot of ideas, > > whether > > good or bad as business, are just boring technically and > > that's all > > there is to it. > > > Of course the converse is true as well: a lot of tech-focussed > > teams don't care about the business side enough, and end up > > spending all their time building something "cool" in node.js or > > Scala or some other of-the-moment technology, forgetting that they > > have to find users and revenue and traction etc etc. > > > So maybe we need some more give-and-take and respect for both the > > tech and the marketing sides: "okay I'll let you build the DB > > backend in Redis/Membase/MongoDB rather than MySQL so you can > > boast to your friends at the ruby meetup, but only if you help me > > to make the SEO work and create a good viral invite system so we > > can get traction" > > > In the end it's more important to build a successful business than > > a sexy one... well that's my opinion anyway! > > > Brendan. > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. > > > Guidelines on discussion: > > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e13... > > > No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > > > To post to this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > > <mailto:silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > > <mailto:silicon-beach-australia%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon > > Beach Australia mailing list. > > > Guidelines on discussion: > >http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e13... > > > No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > > > To post to this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. Guidelines on discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e1303508d?hl=en%3Fhl%3Den No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en
