Great products always start with bold ideas. However, one idea will not be enough. To create a technological product that will satisfy users’ needs, you need to have extensive technical knowledge and experience. A technical co-founder can help you with bringing your idea to life using cutting-edge technologies.
In this article, we’ll cover everything that comes to hiring a technical co-founder. We’ll reveal the best hiring platforms and useful tips to help you manage the hiring process. Without further ado, let’s begin.
What is a Technical Co-Founder?
Technical co-founders aren’t just experienced programmers. They are important figures in the startups as they deeply invest their knowledge and experience in startups. They are responsible for building the business’s technical side, integrating technology into the workflow, developing MVPs, and defining the startup’s overall vision. Moreover, a technical co-founder must hire programmers to breathe life into your idea.
With such a large area of responsibility, technical co-founders often get a large share of the company.
When It’s the Right Time to Hire Technical Co-Founder?
Sometimes entrepreneurs, due to inexperience, do not know if they need a technical co-founder. Let’s take a look at specific scenarios when you should think about hiring a technical co-founder.
Case #1. You’re Lack of Tech Solution for Your Idea
A bold idea is only half the way. To implement an idea, you must think over a technical solution for its implementation. To come up with an appropriate realization way, you must have extensive technical knowledge and experience. A technical co-founder can help you with this situation.
While searching, you should keep in mind that the technical co-founder, in addition to excellent technical knowledge, must have a strategic business mindset. Without business knowledge, a programmer will not be able to create a successful startup and no matter how many programming languages he knows.
Case #2. You Need A Reliable Business Partner
The IT market offers many ways to implement the ideas of entrepreneurs. For example, hiring freelancers is considered the cheapest option, but the consequences of this decision can be unpredictable. Freelancers don’t feel attached to a startup. For them, this is just another job that they want to do faster and get paid. There are often situations when freelancers simply disappear without completing their work.
When looking for a technical co-founder, you must understand that the future candidate must be on the same wavelength as you. You must work on the project together and complement each other. A technical co-founder fills in your technical knowledge gaps, and you, in turn, help the co-founder run the business.
Case #3. You Came Up With Astonishing Idea
The clarity of your idea goes a long way when looking for a technical co-founder. It’s unlikely that a technician wants to work on a vague idea that doesn’t inspire him. Therefore, it is very important to understand your idea’s structure clearly, what makes it stand out from competitors, and further work it out in your head, making it attractive for a future technical co-founder. Make your idea vibrant and challenging with a variety of marketing strategies.
Well motivated people will get inspiration for productive work on the idea. They will see clear perspectives and get an extra boost of creativity that they can share with you.
Case #4. You’re Ready for the Legal Issues of the Project
This is one of the main aspects to keep in mind. Starting a company from scratch with the founders entails a lot of paperwork and high risks for both parties as you will have to distribute the share capital among yourself. For example, to have the main vote on the board of directors, you must own most of the shares.
However, another situation may happen. For example, you have more than one co-founder. In this case, there is a chance that you could become a victim of a conspiracy. In this scenario, multiple co-founders with larger technical co-founder equity may team up against you to take your position. Therefore, you need to be on the lookout and choose your founders wisely.
Even if you find the best founders you trust completely, it will not free you from all the paperwork. You must have the legal experience to handle contracts and stakes properly.
Where Is The Right Place to Find a Technical Co-Founder?
Entrepreneurs often make a mistake and are quite lighthearted about the process of finding a technical founder. Meanwhile, the process of searching for a co-founder is associated with constant monitoring of thematic resources, expanding contacts, and in-depth research. Let’s take a look at a few popular tricks to help you find a technical co-founder.
Networking
This method is very helpful if you do not have time for face-to-face meetings with potential candidates for the technical co-founder position. You can search through special social networks, for example, LinkedIn. Feel free to use your own network of contacts in your search for a future candidate. The chances are very high that you will find an experienced technical co-founder among your acquaintances.
However, this method only works with a wide range of acquaintances. If you have ten followers on Twitter or LinkedIn, your post about finding a co-founder is unlikely to be noticed by anyone. In this case, it is better to start by building up your contact base and then look for a technical co-founder.
Professional Conferences and Hackathons
Live meetings also work great when searching for candidates and expanding contacts. And there is no better place to find technical specialists than various hackathons and professional tech conferences. At such events, it is easy to find like-minded people and get hold of useful connections.
Also, do not neglect university activities. Students studying information technology and other similar disciplines strive for professional development. Even though young professionals do not have enough business knowledge, they have more dedication and enthusiasm. A young specialist will be ready to work in a team with you and for a small share of shares, just wanting to gain experience and a successful case in the portfolio.
Web Resources
Various resources are available to help entrepreneurs find co-founders. These platforms are equipped with multiple filters that will help you find a co-founder with the right skills and experience. You can use the following platforms for searching.
- Cofounderslab
- Founders Nation
- Angellist
Incubators and Accelerators
The last option that can be followed is various startup accelerators. The most famous of them are Y Combinator and 500 Startups. Their main goal is to transform inexperienced dreamers with an idea into real entrepreneurs. Such programs finance the most promising startups in exchange for small equity. However, these startup accelerators can be time-consuming, and not all entrepreneurs have time for them.
Wrapping Up
We’ve covered everything you need to know to hire a technical co-founder for your project. A technical co-founder is a valuable figure in every company, and you should not neglect it. Technical co-founders use their experience and tech-knowledge to bring companies to a whole new level.
