nick_bristol

Thanks mate, I need to work with someone face to face on this one. Canada is a little cold for me!

My intention when I posted was to leave my existing business to run itself and to apply to YC W15 to found a new business.

Having reflected on the advice and the fact I don't have a technical co-founder I know and trust implicitly I am going to go down the route of hiring a competent technical advisor to PM this for me with sub-contracted work.

You are right - I founded my current business with two friends and now only one of them is left! So I know about the grind and the importance of strong relationships.

My instinct is that if I don't have that relationship with a technical co-founder before we start then I would be in a better position to hire in and mitigate the risk of getting in bed with someone prematurely.

Thanks! - I will check out engine shed. I plan to sit down and write out a spec sometime this week

I agree - finding the right people is one of the hardest parts of running a team.

I am all over that - I have not seen it because I have been working the past week but now I have got a day off I am going to smash through all of the lectures: expecting great things!

Thanks Robin, I'll sign up and pop in.

Sam Altmans is right - but if all technical people could found a start up they wouldn't need YC. Some Technical guys don't have the Sales skills and some Sales guys (like me) don't have the technical skills.

Hourly fee is great advice, Ill check out the Hn Hiring thread too.

Excellent advice - thank you. This has changed my approach from zero-sum technical co-founder/no technical co-founder!

My brother in law has successfully exited a small UK based tech start-up but I hadn't wanted to involve him in a new high risk start up due to family commitments etc. BUT he would be an excellent guy to take on an advisory role and to PM the development.

Thanks for your advice. I can see the rub for a technical person being asked for the moon and then left to deliver it whilst non-tech waits around for something to happen. I am trending towards employing a technical advisor to structure what needs to be done and then to bring people in to do the work. Your comment really underlines how the technical side are going to feel about the non-tech; and that is something I hadn't appreciated.