Please stop asking how to find a technical co-founder.

A successful startup requires all aspects of a business:

- leadership

- sales

- marketing

- market research

- competitor research

- product research

- product development

- product shipping & deployment

- contacts in key areas related to your business

- strategic planning

- financial management

- employee management

- investor management

- lots and lots and lots and lots of paperwork

- and of course a million other little things you discover along the way

Some of this can be learned as you go, but the most likely startups to succeed have a large portion of these areas covered by the founders, at least in the book learning sense.

So whenever I'm approached by an idea guy, my questions usually go like this:

- "Great idea. So who else is doing it?" (red flag for "nobody")

- "Who is going to buy this?" (red flag for "everybody")

- "How do you know that [group x] is going to buy it?" (I'm looking for something better than a hunch)

- "How much starting capital do you have?" (got to at least have ramen money)

- "Who have you spoken to about funding?" (red flag for "nobody", unless they are bootstrapping with their own money and have enough for 6 months of runway and a plan for after that)

- "Are you going to do this full time?" (If not, this conversation is over)

- "What skills are you bringing to the table?" (Must have at least half of the list above, or have other interested co-founders who fill many of the gaps)

So if you're looking for a technical co-founder, make sure you're bringing a business to the table, not just an idea.

Here is an example of one of my cases dealing with such.

Mr. P schedules a meeting. He is familiar with technology I have designed. He has an idea to enhance it with new functions, combining it with another technology he has licensed and market the combined product. He already has 10 employees, an office, an incorporated company, a working prototype board, and a reasonable contract. Before the end of the week we have signed a contract, which I had no concerns about, and he has written me a check for $1.2 million. I then ramp up, hire, expand and integrate my designs with his, and a year later the product is demonstrated at trade shows which leads to sales.

Here is an example of an incompetent idea guy. He wants to make umbrellas, briefcases, and hats that are made out of fabric which is a combination solar array and video screen. They will be self powered and show video advertisements which are downloaded wirelessly and which create income for the umbrella user. He has no technology for any of this, but that is my job. It should be a simple matter since solar, wireless and screens are all mature industries. I am to fund all development and manufacturing in return for 5% equity in his new concern.

That one is probably the most coherent and well developed of the "ideas" I have heard over the years from these characters. Don't worry, he has contacts in the industry, connections that will make UmbrellaScreen Ltd a guaranteed billion dollar company. It can't possibly fail.