Warning signs in a non-technical cofounder (can you spot them?)

This HN meme is getting a little tired.

Is it actually true that there are founders of companies who haven't bought a domain name? I find that piece of this to be quite silly.

GoDaddy buys superbowl ads - buying a domain is very mainstream.

I have seen the "multiple startups in the works" thing though- that is definitely not a good sign.

LoseThos is number one on Google: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=64-bit+operating+system

Peter Gadwa mentored me when I was 20 at Ticketmaster. He largely wrote Ticketmaster's operating system for the VAX. I wrote LoseThos and Pete is uninterested in joining me, not surprisingly.

I've learned reality is screwed-up on earlier projects and would never waste my time looking for investors. I have no way of earning money with LoseThos, so I don't really think I want to borrow because they want it back.

I wrote 120,000 LOC over the last 8 years, for what it's worth.

LoseThos sounds a lot better than probably the majority of the ideas investors hear, but that's not saying much. It would be a blind jump to throw money into advertising LoseThos... it would get downloads, but then what? Critical mass? Doubtful. I'm in some kind of FBI prison, anyway--I can't figure-it out.

God says... C:\TEXT\WEALTH.TXT

abour.

When a person employs only his own stock in trade, there is no trust; and the credit which he may get from other people, depends, not upon the nature of the trade, but upon their opinion of his fortune, probity and prudence. The different rates of profit, therefore, in the different branches of trade, cannot arise from the different degrees of trust reposed in the traders.

Fifthly, the wages of labour in different employments vary according to the probability or improbability of success

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Ba ha! You thought I had multiple gigs? No -- serial entrepreneur. 1996 did 3D Printer

http://www.losethos.com/images/Machine.jpg

http://www.losethos.com/images/SoapCarvings.jpg

http://www.losethos.com/images/CTTNTAIL.JPG

Gadwa is in on my jail joke -- he had me do soap carvings and I didn't get it.

I did simstructure 2000-2001. Just in time for 9/11 in my crazy world.

Gadwa said failures are what lead to eventual success, sometimes. I learned it's hopeless in my failures.

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If you really want details, God talked to me in 1996. I quit ticketmaster. I gave away all my possessions like you are supposed to. Nothing turned up. I had dreamed of starting a company so did 3 Axis milling machine on credit card and got $12,000 in debt before I saw it wasn't going to be ready for consumers. I am a software and hardware engineer by training -- BSE in computer systems enginmeering -- like for embedded systems and MSE in electrical engineering. The BSE was about hardware and software for embedded systems -- glue logic and stuff.

I wrote a CAD/CAM program and made the steppermotor board and firmware. I did the mechanical but it sucked. At Ticketmaster I had some failed electro/mechanical experience as well as software experience.

Couldn't even get my brother who was in town and is a millwright to look at it. Nobody interested.

I got a job, paid 12,000 back and saved 12,000 in a couple years and quit to do book, then did simstructure. tried to get teachers to look at it, game companies, no luck. Then some big boys infringed on my SimStructure name by making a sims game of the same name. Fuckers. Part of LoseThos being free was payback and part was no choice because Linux is free.

I'm a crazy jail and only get FBI emails.

God says...

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C:\TEXT\BIBLE.TXT

ns shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

28:15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

28:16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

28:17 A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay

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The job in 1997-99 was image processing machine for bank of England. Funny story is I added passwords and it's a really high security place. I just did what I was told but that looks good on my resume.

In 2001 I worked making 8-bit microcontrollers spoof ASIC EEPROMs on toner cartriges so they could be refilled. It was a losing battle, obviously.

I think that this article was supposed to illustrate a multitude of problems that you could encounter, obviously if ALL of these happened with one person you'd run like the plague.

I think the biggest indicator, that isn't necessarily on the list, is if they have learned to code AT ALL. They don't need to be a master coder, even if the know some basic JavaScript and C, and they learned it for the startup, at least it shows they're willing to put in the effort, and are attempting to meet you on some level. I don't see how someone can start a company and be completely in the dark about how it's built.

One thing I've been wondering a lot about is anti-warning signs - things that turn technical cofounders off that aren't necessarily bad things.

The first thing that comes to mind is arrogance. It certainly puts me off, but it seems like you need a good dose of arrogance to think you can solve a daunting problem.