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Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

blog.launchbit.com

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Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#3

Post by mindcrime »

Can we just "sticky" this to the top of HN, as a perpetual answer to the (seemingly) daily "How to find a technical co-founder" thread?

Seriously though, that was good stuff. Now how about a survey that goes the other way? One that's directed towards technical types who are looking for a non-technical co-founder (that is, a "the sales / marketing / bizdev guy" type.)

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#4

Post by lolizbak »

Reminds me of the post by Mark Suster => invest in lines, not in dots : http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/11/15/invest-in-line...

I think it goes the same way for (co)founders: partner in lines, not in dots. Your relationship with potential cofounders shouldn't start the day you're looking for one.

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#5

Post by hippo33 »

mindcrime wrote: post #3

Can we just "sticky" this to the top of HN, as a perpetual answer to the (seemingly) daily "How to find a technical co-founder" thread? Seriously though, that was good stuff. Now how about a survey that goes the other way? One that's directed towards technical types who are looking for a non-technical co-founder (that is, a "the sales / marketing / bizdev guy" type.)

thanks mindcrime -- hmm, I'd never thought about that. Are people have trouble finding non-technical co-founders? (good sales / BD?)

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#6

Post by hippo33 »

lolizbak wrote: post #4

Reminds me of the post by Mark Suster => invest in lines, not in dots : http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/11/15/invest-in-line... I think it goes the same way for (co)founders: partner in lines, not in dots. Your relationship with potential cofounders shouldn't start the day you're looking for one.

Very true!

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#7

Post by mindcrime »

hippo33 wrote: post #5
mindcrime wrote: post #3

Can we just "sticky" this to the top of HN, as a perpetual answer to the (seemingly) daily "How to find a technical co-founder" thread? Seriously though, that was good stuff. Now how about a survey that goes the other way? One that's directed towards technical types who are looking for a non-technical co-founder (that is, a "the sales / marketing / bizdev guy" type.)

thanks mindcrime -- hmm, I'd never thought about that. Are people have trouble finding non-technical co-founders? (good sales / BD?)

Not sure about "having trouble," but I'll say that - in my own experience - it isn't necessarily easy. I've been trawling for a sales/marketing/bizdev guy for a few months now and haven't had a whole lot of success finding anybody. But, to be fair, I haven't tried that hard yet. But still, some insights into what it takes to tempt a sales/marketing/bizdev guy into a startup would be useful... at least, I know I'd find it useful, and I'm guessing there are at least a handful of others who would as well.

Of course I'm a little outside what seems to be the norm here... I'm not building a consumer centric webapp or mobile app; I'm working on enterprise software and stuff that is sold through direct sales & face-to-face selling. Maybe nobody else cares about that stuff. :-)

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#8

Post by extension »

hippo33 wrote: post #5
mindcrime wrote: post #3

Can we just "sticky" this to the top of HN, as a perpetual answer to the (seemingly) daily "How to find a technical co-founder" thread? Seriously though, that was good stuff. Now how about a survey that goes the other way? One that's directed towards technical types who are looking for a non-technical co-founder (that is, a "the sales / marketing / bizdev guy" type.)

thanks mindcrime -- hmm, I'd never thought about that. Are people have trouble finding non-technical co-founders? (good sales / BD?)

People have trouble finding good ones. It took some hard experience early in my career to learn that I should be as picky as that article describes about who I do business with.

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#9

Post by hippo33 »

mindcrime wrote: post #7
hippo33 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

thanks mindcrime -- hmm, I'd never thought about that. Are people have trouble finding non-technical co-founders? (good sales / BD?)

Not sure about "having trouble," but I'll say that - in my own experience - it isn't necessarily easy. I've been trawling for a sales/marketing/bizdev guy for a few months now and haven't had a whole lot of success finding anybody. But, to be fair, I haven't tried that hard yet. But still, some insights into what it takes to tempt a sales/marketing/bizdev guy into a startup would be useful... at least, I know I'd fin…

Hmm...I see.

Re: Why you can('t) recruit a technical co-founder

#10

Post by mikeleeorg »

mindcrime wrote: post #7
hippo33 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

thanks mindcrime -- hmm, I'd never thought about that. Are people have trouble finding non-technical co-founders? (good sales / BD?)

Not sure about "having trouble," but I'll say that - in my own experience - it isn't necessarily easy. I've been trawling for a sales/marketing/bizdev guy for a few months now and haven't had a whole lot of success finding anybody. But, to be fair, I haven't tried that hard yet. But still, some insights into what it takes to tempt a sales/marketing/bizdev guy into a startup would be useful... at least, I know I'd fin…

Finding a good sales/marketing/bizdev guy is certainly not easy. I'm a developer-turned-biz guy, so I can offer a bit of insight from my perspective, though it may differ with others.

First, it's important to recognize the market to which you are targeting. Yours is enterprise software, which you correctly realize is different than consumer software. This speaks to the different skills you'll want in a biz guy.

Second, biz skills vary significantly. Being great at sales & direct selling is different than launching a social media campaign, for instance. And if you want a cofounder who is also familiar with the financial and legal aspects of running a startup, those are different skills as well. Startups will probably want people with "T" skills - a wide range of business skills (the horizontal bar in the T) and a deep well of some specific skill (the vertical bar in the T). In enterprise software, you may want someone who's really good at direct sales, for instance.

Third, relevant experience is important. This person needs to know your market well and have a good track record (ideally in startups too). They should be able to rattle off key competitors and have an eye on emerging trends. They also should be able to articulate the key metrics (or KPIs, Key Performance Indicators) of your industry. Every industry has a different set of KPIs. A good biz person will know yours.

Fourth, the biz person's network is also important. For direct sales, it's especially so. If this person already has a connection to your target customers, that will go a long way in securing their business. You may also want a biz person with connections to investors.

Fifth, personality & attitude is another attribute to watch. It goes without saying that this person should be able to gel with you well (i.e. can you imagine being stuck with this person in an airport for 10 hours?). Your biz person should also have an entrepreneurial attitude and know when to be frugal (with hard costs) and when to spend (with great talent). In my biased view, the biz person should also have enough of a technical background to understand your software, at least from an architectural level, to be able to speak to a customer's CTO.

My $0.02. I'm writing this off-the-cuff, so I may have left a few things out.

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