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Idea Guy Looking for Developer

bubblefoundry.com

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Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#71

Post by nhangen »

sidmitra wrote: post #38
flyosity wrote: post #19

The thing that always gets me is that "idea guys" seem to assume that "developers" can't get ideas, like it's a skill that only a select few can possess. Guess what? Everyone has ideas, and being a developer is great because we can actually build our ideas.

The idea guy has its own place in the market. It is the reason why there're so many consulting firms in the first place(including mine)! Some people genuinely believe in their ideas, enough to pay someone else to do it(not in equity ofcourse). And those are usually the people whose ideas work out in the end.

That's what I've been doing, and though I'm still very unhappy with developer churn, being able to hire and fire at will is convenient. It's just very hard to find someone that doesn't have a project mentality and is prepared to do great work.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#72

Post by true_religion »

Travis wrote: post #46
raganwald wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I may be the lone dissenter... Could it be that there are many business people, some of who have ideas but no ability to execute, some of who can execute but have no ideas, and a very few who have ideas and can execute on them? And like wise could it be that there are many developers, some of whom have ideas but cannot build their dreams, some of whom can build but have no ideas, and a very select few that have id…

I don't disagree with your statements -- their is definitely a spectrum of each type of cofounder. However, out of the spectrum of idea guys, one signal I look for is their desire to pursue their idea. One great way to do that -- teach themselves to code. It doesn't mean that their ideas aren't any good. But at a glance, if someone has an idea that they believe in enough to teach themselves basic skils... well, then…

I don't think its always a matter of unwilling as at times being unable.

When I was in university, I was a TA/Tutor and found that even upper level CS students have trouble coding. There are many cases where the students understood the upper-level concepts behind say networking, or DFA minimization but couldn't produce simple Fizzbizz level code.

The problem wasn't apparantly with their intelligence (as they could annunciate and expand on the concepts they were taught in class), or their rationality (they made it through the Discrete Math weedout), or even their determination (they worked hours upon hours outside of class)....

So now I'm one of those who believes that sometimes no matter how hard you try, there's a switch that won't go off to make one a 'coder'.

That said, I think a business guy should at least try to learn coding if his idea demands doing a lot of it to start with.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#74

Post by ChuckFrank »

Having gone through this process several times, I've found that the most important part of the 'idea vs implementation' equation is 'mutual complementarity'. Regardless of where the 'idea' comes from the participants must agree both on the 'problem statement' ie. 'having multiple information screens in a single household is inefficient' and on the 'problem solution' ie.'unify information screens'. If you agree on this, then you simply lay out the tasks required to complete the work. Finally, the skills needed to complete the task should only overlap in accordance to the quantity of work that needs to be done. So, in starting out, when it's important to have the breadth of skills, it's important to minimize the overlap. So while the Idea person may be the developer, they may also be the designer, the marketer, the seller, the writer, the networker, the motivator, or the enabler, all essential elements to successfully solving a problem statement. So the a priori ideas that a)ideas are negligible compared to implementation eg 1% inspiration vs. 99% perspiration and b) the lone genius has a higher success rate, appear in retrospect to be false, since in actuality it appears that [two is indeed the magic number](http://www.slate.com/id/2267004/pagenum/all/#p2)

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#75

Post by ChuckFrank »

prknight wrote: post #69

I think a partnership can make sense if there is complimentary leverage, i.e. both parties bring something to the table that the other can leverage to their benefit + the combination of both parties creates additional leverage. Just having the idea in most situations just isn't a lot of leverage for a developer to become interested. But if you pair an idea up with: Idea + capital, Idea + connections, Idea + salesmans…

Absolutely. Mutually complimentary leveraging maximizes team members strengths instead of focusing on their weakness. I love the analogy of that my high school coach used to use all the time about the Quarterback and the Wide Receiver. Both are necessary components to scoring. One throws, one runs, and as a dispassionate evaluator, coach would always argue that the best thrower throw to the best runner, instead of suggesting that either the thrower or the runner should do the opposite. I think solving technical problems is similar. Hustlers should hustle and hackers should hack, so that together problems can be solved, and solutions improved. Because in the end, that's what important. Isn't it?

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#76

Post by evo_9 »

I think it's the presumptuous nature of stating one is an 'idea guy' and all the connotations that sort of naturally follow from there... aka, we poor developers lack some special creativity gene or something. Not a good way to start a business relationship.

Case in point - my business partners needed a developer and when I met them for the first time they presented themselves as experienced business men in their niche - sort of 'vertical market experts' as another poster termed it. At no point did either claim they were 'idea guys' - instead taking a more humble approach that they had this idea they wanted to build and would like to hear my thoughts on it. I knew I could work with them because they weren't making such grandiose, ego filled statements from the get go.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#77

Post by Travis »

true_religion wrote: post #72
Travis wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't disagree with your statements -- their is definitely a spectrum of each type of cofounder. However, out of the spectrum of idea guys, one signal I look for is their desire to pursue their idea. One great way to do that -- teach themselves to code. It doesn't mean that their ideas aren't any good. But at a glance, if someone has an idea that they believe in enough to teach themselves basic skils... well, then…

I don't think its always a matter of unwilling as at times being unable. When I was in university, I was a TA/Tutor and found that even upper level CS students have trouble coding. There are many cases where the students understood the upper-level concepts behind say networking, or DFA minimization but couldn't produce simple Fizzbizz level code. The problem wasn't apparantly with their intelligence (as they could an…

I don't believe that someone who is capable of founding a business cannot learn web programming. Flat out don't believe it. Much of the time, you hardly need to write code as much as think logically and build a product.

In fact, if it turned out that someone wasn't able to code, I probably don't want them as a co-founder because I don't think they are smart/determined/focused enough to run a business.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#78

Post by bpm140 »

I'm a marginally successful product guy and I regularly get asked by people how to find developers to implement their Big Idea.

I tell them to go talk to developers and find out the developers' Big Ideas and then work on one of them.

You get to work on a startup and hopefully build a relationship that will span multiple products and companies.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#79

Post by drzaiusapelord »

zeemonkee wrote: post #51
flyosity wrote: post #19

The thing that always gets me is that "idea guys" seem to assume that "developers" can't get ideas, like it's a skill that only a select few can possess. Guess what? Everyone has ideas, and being a developer is great because we can actually build our ideas.

A "business person" may be a domain expert in a vertical market. They may have an idea that requires an insight that only comes from years of working inside an industry that a developer, unless they have also worked in that industry, will simply not have. Furthermore the "business person" will be able to network in that industry.

Except "business person" has no idea how to market applications, what works with online marketing, and how to effectively communicate what the application does. Let alone how to sell apps commercially to skeptical deep pocketed IT buyers who ask questions regarding such "arcane" things like HIPPA or SOX or assurance or compatibility with large enterprise solutions.

His big contacts file is useless because his domain is in selling real estate not selling real estate apps.

Re: Idea Guy Looking for Developer

#80

Post by drzaiusapelord »

turoczy wrote: post #28
flyosity wrote: post #19

The thing that always gets me is that "idea guys" seem to assume that "developers" can't get ideas, like it's a skill that only a select few can possess. Guess what? Everyone has ideas, and being a developer is great because we can actually build our ideas.

The thing I never get is this… If the idea is so amazing, then you should be able to find funding to hire incredible developers to build it. If it's not that amazing, but you're convinced you're creative, then use that creativity to find the developers you need. "Idea guy seeking developer" usually means "I think I have a get rich quick scheme."

Excellent point. I'd also add that most good ideas are hard to recognize. Imagine trying to sell dropbox "Yeah, its like free backups meets FTP. Not sure how we're going to make money" or Facebook "Its the new myspace/friendster!"

A lot of the success is in things like marketing, good UIs, implementation, beating the competition in features, strong partnerships with other companies, creative new solutions, good policies, and lots of luck. The idea guy can't help you with any of that. The devil is in the details, not in the big idea. Most "big ideas" are plain to see, its some kind of technical or creative specialization that helps you rise past your competitors.

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