Business and technical skills are essential for any startup or young firm to succeed. A founder might possess the requisite business skills but may lack technical skills.
It is common for a startup to lose its way during development, especially if its product is technology-based. A lack of technical know-how can result in startups being unable to select and assess the right technology, build and manage technical teams, or get certification for their products. Therefore, startups often need a technical co-founder who can turn an idea into a real product.
Role of A Tech Co-founder
A technical co-founder complements the overall business model with their specialised skills and helps build, launch, monitor, and upscale the business.
Usually, founders assume that their co-founder should be someone they already share a bond with. However, a co-founder can be someone you don’t know but is like-minded. They are deeply invested in the company and willing to go through the startup trenches with you.
A technical co-founder not only completes all founder-level responsibilities, such as developing the technical side of the business and setting the overall vision, but also leads the technical teams, manages the development process, and takes important decisions like selecting the right technology.
Why You Need a Tech Co-founder?
Entrepreneurs often want to start developing product ideas as soon as possible. However, leaders without a strong software development background will have difficulty effectively managing and communicating with their teams.
Founders often seek out a technical co-founder with software-related experience for the following reasons:
1. Lack of Technical Expertise
The biggest challenge for any entrepreneur with a ground-breaking technological idea is bringing it to life. Working with a technical co-founder gives the startup a pillar of support- a person with in-depth programming knowledge and experience in the technological world who knows which technologies are best for the product. A technical co-founder can also assist with research into the product and ensure that the idea is tested before moving forward with development.
For instance, when the startup builds a prototype or minimum viable product (MVP), they need a co-founder who can determine the most important features.
2. Need for a Long-term Partner
Your startup will need a technical co-founder even after the product's launch and when you begin upscaling it.
A technical co-founder helps manage the core competencies and objectives and ensures seamless upscaling. An experienced technical co-founder can take care of developing new features for the product or outsource product development or build a remote technical team.
3. Increased Faith From the Investors
When investors know you have a technical co-founder, they are more likely to trust the project, making the deal more likely to succeed.
How To Find a Tech Co-founder
A technical co-founder plays a vital role in any startup’s success. Therefore, it is essential to find the best co-founder.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Create a Great Pitch
Since a technical co-founder will risk their high-paying job or their current occupation and reputation, your startup must have a clear pitch explaining the problem, your unique solution, and the prospects of getting rewarded in the near future.
Ensure your pitch includes clear pointers on why the tech co-founder is needed and their role. Co-founders will only join the startup and begin working when they share the same vision as yours.
It is also a good idea to keep your pitch open-ended with an invitation to brainstorm ideas about the future of your startup. This can be a good exercise to know if they are the right fit.
2. Meetings and Conferences
It is an age-old but effective way to meet people with similar interests as you. Moreover, it allows you to have one-on-one conversations and understand other visions, which is essential to working with a technical co-founder.
3. Partner With an Established Technology Firm
By choosing this route, startups have the flexibility and advantage of “hiring a team” as their technical co-founder. Engaging with a technological company is a move that can pay off until you find "the one" technical expert you can commit to and trust entirely.
4. Network at the Right Place
It is a tried-and-tested method of not only finding tech talent but also the right tech co-founder for your startup idea. Attending startup incubators and accelerators and talking with like-minded people can be helpful. Online networking platforms are also among the best places to look for a technical co-founder. This is also something that Scalix can help you with.
Still Concerned About Your Next Steps in the Entrepreneurial Journey?
At Scalix, we understand the initial challenges experienced by an entrepreneur. Therefore, we have created a SaaS marketplace for founders and startups to partner with us in their journey from inception to upscale.
We help founders and startups with customer connects, community, service providers, and capital to help founders run and grow their businesses through an integrated platform.
As you create your own scalable and sustainable startup, we will be your go-to network. Apply now to join the community.
