How To Build A Tech Startup With No Technical Skills
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speakers discuss the critical need for business founders to recruit exceptional technical co-founders. They emphasize that great software companies are built by great software engineers and highlight the importance of finding someone who shares the same level of commitment and passion as a founder. The video offers insights on how to identify and approach potential technical partners, stressing that the best business founders are also great recruiters, and that offering a sense of adventure and partnership can be compelling to potential co-founders.
Takeaways
- 🤝 The importance of having a technical co-founder for a software startup cannot be overstated; it's crucial for success.
- 🚀 Successful business founders are those who can recruit amazing technical co-founders, creating a powerful synergy.
- 📝 Many aspiring founders overlook the necessity of a technical co-founder, which can significantly reduce their chances of success.
- 💡 The script emphasizes that the best business founders are those who can find and work with great software engineers.
- 🛠️ Starting a software company without a technical co-founder is akin to building a rocket without knowledge of physics.
- 🔍 The video suggests that business people often need to reassess their expectations and qualifications for a technical co-founder.
- 🎯 It's suggested that business founders should aim to recruit the best person they've ever worked with, rather than settling for less.
- 🤔 The script encourages founders to consider why they haven't approached the best potential co-founders and to overcome self-imposed barriers.
- 💼 Having a technical co-founder is not just beneficial for purely tech businesses but also for 'tech-enabled' companies.
- 🤝 The process of finding a co-founder should involve collaboration and shared ownership, not just a search for an employee.
- 🌟 The pitch to a potential co-founder should be about the adventure and opportunity of building something significant together, not just executing someone else's idea.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the importance of having a technical co-founder for business people who want to start a software or tech-enabled company.
Why do business people often seek technical co-founders according to the script?
-Business people often seek technical co-founders because they recognize the need for technical expertise to bring their business ideas to life, especially in the tech industry.
What is the key secret to being a successful business co-founder as mentioned in the script?
-The key secret to being a successful business co-founder, as mentioned in the script, is the ability to recruit amazing technical co-founders.
What does the script suggest about the intersection of great business founders and those who can recruit technical co-founders?
-The script suggests that the intersection of great business founders and those who can recruit technical co-founders is a special class with fewer people, which can significantly distinguish a business.
Why do some business people dismiss the idea of finding a technical co-founder?
-Some business people dismiss the idea of finding a technical co-founder because they find it too hard, or they believe they can't find the right person, leading them to proceed without one.
What is the comparison made in the script between starting a software company without a technical co-founder and other ventures?
-The script compares starting a software company without a technical co-founder to building a rocket to the moon without knowing physics, emphasizing the absurdity and reduced chances of success.
What does the script imply about the role of a technical co-founder in a software startup?
-The script implies that a technical co-founder is crucial in a software startup, as they provide the necessary technical expertise and commitment to build and iterate on the product effectively.
What is the script's stance on the idea that software is just a part of the business, not the core?
-The script argues that even if software is not the core of the business, the speed of shipping software and having a great technical team is critical to the success of companies like Airbnb or DoorDash.
What advice does the script give to business people who feel they cannot find a technical co-founder?
-The script advises business people to not disqualify potential co-founders too quickly, to consider working at a startup to meet the right people, and to pitch the idea of an adventure rather than just an idea.
What is the script's view on the importance of the 'adventure' aspect when pitching to potential technical co-founders?
-The script views the 'adventure' aspect as a compelling factor when pitching to potential technical co-founders, suggesting that the excitement of embarking on a new venture can be a strong motivator.
How does the script address the concern of business people who feel they are not qualified to judge technical talent?
-The script encourages business people to think about who the best person they have ever worked with is and to consider recruiting them as a co-founder, implying that their judgment of character and work ethic is valuable.
Outlines
🤝 The Importance of Technical Co-founders in Business
This paragraph discusses the vital role of technical co-founders in the success of a business, particularly in the tech industry. The speaker emphasizes that great software companies are built by great software engineers and that business people should embrace this reality. The paragraph highlights the common issue faced by aspiring founders who struggle to find or recruit technical co-founders, and the importance of not just having an idea, but also the ability to bring together a team that can execute it. The speaker also points out that the best business founders are those who can recruit amazing technical co-founders, which is a distinguishing factor in the entrepreneurial world.
🚀 Overcoming Challenges to Find the Right Tech Talent
The second paragraph delves into the challenges of finding the right technical talent for a startup. It addresses the misconception that a business can succeed without a strong technical co-founder, using the analogy of building a rocket without knowledge of physics. The speaker argues that even companies that are not strictly tech businesses, such as DoorDash or Airbnb, rely heavily on their ability to quickly develop and ship software. The paragraph also touches on the importance of having a co-founder who is deeply invested in the company's success, as opposed to hiring engineers who may not share the same level of commitment.
🛠️ The Art of Recruitment and Building a Strong Team
This paragraph focuses on the art of recruitment and the importance of building a strong team, especially for non-technical founders. It suggests that if a business person does not know where to find technical co-founders, they might consider working at a startup to expand their network. The speaker encourages founders to think about the best person they've ever worked with and consider how they might recruit such an individual to be a co-founder. The paragraph also discusses the importance of offering more than just an idea, but the adventure and potential for shared success that comes with starting a company together.
🎉 Embracing the Adventure of Entrepreneurship
The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by emphasizing the adventure and excitement of entrepreneurship. It suggests that successful non-technical founders are often great recruiters who can attract top talent by offering not just a job, but a journey of shared ambition and discovery. The speaker encourages founders to hold themselves to the same standard as these successful individuals and to use the process of recruitment as a way to 'bend the universe to their will,' ultimately leading to greater success in their ventures.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Technical Co-founder
💡Business Co-founder
💡Recruiting
💡Software Startup
💡Idea
💡Success
💡Adventure
💡Hustle
💡10x Engineer
💡Marketplace Software
💡White Label Software
Highlights
The importance of having a technical co-founder for business people with great ideas to succeed in the tech startup world.
The common challenge faced by aspiring founders in finding a technical co-founder.
The key secret to being the best business co-founder is recruiting amazing technical co-founders.
The distinction between good business people and those who can recruit great technical talent.
The misconception that having a technical co-founder is not necessary for success in the tech industry.
The analogy of building a rocket to the moon without knowing physics to emphasize the absurdity of starting a tech company without a technical co-founder.
The argument that great software companies are built by great software engineers, not just by great ideas.
The reality that having a technical co-founder increases the chances of success significantly in a tech startup.
The importance of not dismissing the search for a technical co-founder as too hard and instead embracing the challenge.
The advice for business people to not start a company without a technical co-founder, similar to not building a rocket without a physicist.
The perspective that having a technical co-founder is a golden opportunity and should be pursued actively.
The suggestion to not start a company if the right technical co-founder cannot be found, and instead to expand one's network.
The strategy of visualizing the best person one has ever worked with and considering them as a potential co-founder.
The idea that pitching an adventure, not just an idea, can attract the best talent to join a startup.
The emphasis on the rarity of opportunities to embark on an adventure, which can be a compelling factor in recruiting a co-founder.
The insight that successful non-technical founders are often great recruiters who manage to attract top talent.
The conclusion that being a great recruiter and finding the best person to work with is a pattern seen in successful founders.
Transcripts
you're offering Adventure you're
offering the unknown and Adventure isn't
here's my idea for a social network for
dogs will you build my website no let's
build a company together together
yes welcome to Doon plus Michael today
we're going to talk
about why business folks need great
technical
co-founders so who's this video for
Let's talk about the business folks
we're talking to yeah I think to set
this up um Michael and I both talk to a
lot of aspiring Founders in any number
of different venues on the street at
conferences in interviews wherever like
they find us they find us and one of the
more common opening lines is something
like well I'm a really good business
person with a great idea I have the best
ideas yes you know how do I need a
technical co-founder or how do I find a
technical co-founder or I can't find any
good technical co-founders like this is
one of the number one opening questions
we get when we meet people in the real
world yes and so this video is aimed at
all of those people that ask all these
questions that we have met and all the
people that haven't met us that might be
thinking these questions and what we
want to do is give you the key secret to
actually being the best business
co-founder and we're not going to hide
it we're going to put it right up front
the best business
Founders recruit amazing Technical
co-founders and that is how they
distinguish themselves that is the
number one distinction so it's not
what's on your resume where you worked
the fact that you were some fancy
executive that you're tall people like
to go and have drinks with you you've
got Amazing Ideas
unfortunately there are a lot of folks
like that yeah imagine the set of people
imagine the intersection there's the set
of people that are great business
Founders yes and there's the set of
people that can recruit amazing
technical co-founders yes you want to be
in the intersection of those two sets
and there's not many people no that puts
you in a very special class well and I
would I would argue it it is so
distinguishing that you're given amazing
opportunities um but what's tricky is
not only to people not see this um or to
people try and not get a Tech Co or they
just dismiss it out of hand it's too
hard like they'll just kind of like shut
this line that's what's even more common
it's just that like well I I can't find
this person so I'm just going along yeah
I don't know anyone okay you know and
this is the crazy thing because like a
lot of people will pitch this to me as
like but this is the true Spirit of an
entrepreneurism like no barrier can
prevent me from getting my product to
market right like I couldn't find
technical co-founder so I just moved to
the next challenge I hired some
Engineers or I got a Dev shop and like
nothing will keep
me will hold me back back and what's so
sad about that way of thinking about it
is that like one the percentage chances
of death just went through the roof
right like you've just
completely reduced your chances of
success but
two I bet if you would put the same
amount of effort you put into getting a
product to Market without a great
technical founder into finding a great
technical founder at least half people
would be able to do it yeah and so it's
just like it's a shame because it's so
much wasted Talent yeah I I like to
think about it this way again we are
what we're talking about implicitly
let's make it explicit we're talking
about a company that uses software as a
deep part of it so Teck software startup
if we're talking about a software
startup yes and you somehow don't have a
technical co-founder this would be like
I'm going to build a rocket to the moon
yes but no one here knows anything about
physics we can my I have such a big
heart we can just like like I have such
Hustle I'm Johnny hustle I'm going to
the Moon Michael like do you see how
absurd that is but and the as is okay if
you want to start a new clothing brand
or a liquor brand okay you don't need
this doesn't OB but if you're if you're
saying yeah I'm going to build a
software company and you don't have a
software co-founder it just you're not
even in the in the ball game you're not
even in the stadium well what's so sad
for me is like when I say that to people
sometimes they think I'm trying to
discourage them but if you go back to
that I'm going to prove you wrong
Michael I'm going to learn physics yeah
and I'm like I am not trying to like I
am trying to tell you the number or like
I came to you for advice about my
product but you're telling me I need a
co- you're insulting me Michael yeah
yeah and it's just like no I'm trying to
give you the most important thing I can
tell you and you know what interesting
is that like this is advice is informed
by my personal experience right like I
was the single non-technical person on a
forers co-founding team at Justin TV and
twitch and like uh I'll just make it
plain without my three other co-founders
none of that happens like ideas are
a dime a dozen and so um I think that
more business people need to embrace the
idea that great software companies are
built by great software Engineers yep a
common retort out here is like d we're
not building a software business
software is in there but it's not that
it's a tech enabled yeah we're just
building a simple marketplace right like
we can just use jedit Marketplace
software it's just a copy of door Dash
with a little twist why do we need a
great software engineer what's your
response you know it's hard to win that
debate in theory like it's hard to
convince someone just in the debate
they'll be like well we're just going to
agree to disagree yes but I think if you
just look at the facts of the companies
we funded like literally door Dash or
literally Airbnb or any of these folks
yes they lived and died by their speed
of shipping software and if they what
they did was buy white label software or
have some Dev shop in a foreign country
making edits to the website there's a 0%
chance those companies would have worked
yeah and so again who am I to say there
won't be some future company that maybe
uses one of these things yes but the
more that the more that we're exposed to
seeing what these companies look like at
the earliest stages even if they don't
look like strictly Tech
businesses man there's no way these
things would have gotten off the ground
without having a really great person who
cared as much as a co-founder cares yes
building this thing day in and day out
versus someone ripping you off charging
you $500 an hour to change some words on
the website and you don't even know
you're not even ball game like it's not
even well what what pisses me off is
that like I think in other areas um that
are equally as hard as being successful
Tech founder let's say Athletics I think
more people are realistic about it
strangely like the equivalent is you
know a 5'4 person who doesn't
jump can't run yeah and like got a lot
of heart mangles yeah they're not that
many of those people who are saying to
the world I want to be in the NBA right
whereas we see the equivalent of that in
startups all the time and it's like it's
one thing if you're 66 and like you're
like a great high school basketball
player you probably won't make the NBA
but like all right at least you you're
in the stadium in the stadium you're
amongst the million people who could
yeah and I think that people are not
honest with themselves and I think what
we're trying to do is give you this
secret which is that
like you can almost get a ticket to
being in the game and it requires
recruiting one person yep how cool is
that like this shouldn't be seen as a
negative it like an extreme positive
it's like a golden what is it Willy
Wonka ticket and and even if you are
technical yourself or sometimes people
are medium technical like so I I was a
technical CEO but I still tremendously
benefited by having an additional
technical co-founder and so this is also
a thing where you're not like okay well
I you know I can kind of I can kind of
okay that doesn't
count there's actually tremendous
benefits from having someone again who
cares as much as a Founder who's commit
as much as a founder and who's at you
know at the top of the game like a 10x
engineer on a Founder level you're
unstoppable and what's weird is
sometimes we had competitors in in my
startups whose teams were constructed
this way horrible Tech talent
and it was funny in hindsight because we
never had to be worried they could raise
more money they could have nicer office
they could have more
employees they could have cooler people
using their it didn't matter like having
better engineering is the gift that
gives you more shots every day even if
you need to Pivot no matter what no
matter what happens good or bad you're
in a better position a better position
to react to these changes yes and I
think the even scarier thing about this
is that like when you start with a team
of business people assessing engineers
and they are naturally going to start by
hiring worse Engineers all of your
future Engineers
are exactly it compounds bad so okay so
all right Michael all right you guys
convinced me I guess whatever but I
don't you know
sure guy you know I guess that's a point
you can make I don't know but Michael I
don't know anyone where do I find these
people yeah how again that's what we
always say in these conversations so how
what is your response when they tell you
that so the first thing is that like who
are you disqualifying and why I can't
tell you how many business people told
me well I obviously need a CTO with 10
years of experience and who've managed
teams of at least 50 to 100 and I'm like
you're 23 years old with no years of
experience why do you need that and
they're like well because you know when
we launch this thing's going to get big
just like come on so first you might be
disqualifying great people don't do that
and so let's say you don't know them
sometimes the number one thing to do if
you're in this position is to not start
the company right now is to go get a job
at a startup is to go change the people
you know and what's so interesting is
that like sometimes taking that step
sideways is the easiest and best path to
starting Journey with the highest
likelihood of success well here's the
thought experiment I encourage people to
do visualize the best person you have
ever worked with either in school or in
your job the best engineer that everyone
knows is the best person yes can you
visualize someone okay can you get that
person to be your co-founder and often
people are like oh yeah no they would
never they would never work with me what
do you mean man or like they're making
lots of money yeah and again I would
just stop right there and be like well
why have you talked to them and they're
like no they would like basically folks
put up the barriers yes to negotiate
against themselves yes right out of the
gate and again if we Zoom all the way
out yes so you want to start a company
you want to do something big but you
won't actually even bother to try to
recruit the most obvious person that's a
candidate that you know but what if they
say no or you talk to them and they're
like no I don't think so um what often
happens again to go deep on this is that
the way they'll pitch the person is
they'll pitch them their idea they be
like I'm an idea guy I've got a great
idea do you want to be my like worker be
to go do all my ideas and of course the
person that's the best person you've
ever worked with does not want to sit in
a cage no and do all of the work that
you give them no and instead I'm like
well have you asked them what if they
have startup ideas yeah and then you
sell yourself where you can come
together come up with the idea together
yeah as co-owners and it's shocking how
often that appears to have never
occurred to someone like they think the
idea of finding a tech co-founder is to
find someone who will basically submit
to their whims and be like their like
assistant to find an employee yeah and
that's not the move man trying to find a
partner you know it's funny because my
dad would say this to me about my
co-founder Justin Khan he was like you
know Michael Justin's an amazing
recruiter and I always thought I was
like what's weird is like I think if
you're recruited by a good recruiter you
don't even realize they're a good
recruiter right but like in hindsight
I'm like all right so we got me Emmit
and Kyle to work for him well not work
for him but to be his co-founders in a
startup where he was wearing a camera on
his side streaming his live 247 named
after him yes named after named
Justin.tv do you want to work up my
startup yes it's me yes and and
and he had raised 50,000
seems like a great deal Michael yeah
right and so it's like okay well like
how did he build that team like you know
it comes back to like you want to sting
yourself as a business person go do
that like that's people should be
impressed I'm
impressed you're a great business and
hey they're working on your idea let's
even I promise you I have no idea well I
you know I'll tell you what he promise
me it wasn't that the idea was going to
work like
it was the adventure okay it was the
adventure and like I think what's so
interesting when people like don't ask
their
friend and they assume oh but they work
at this company they're never going to
do it da D it's like they don't realize
you're offering Adventure you're
offering the unknown an adventure isn't
here's my idea for a social network for
dogs will you build my website no let's
build a company together together yes
that's Adventure yes and um what's crazy
is like when you're pitching Adventure
there aren't a lot of there aren't a lot
of Alternatives most people don't have
six Adventures on the play how often
does any one person get pitched
Adventure yeah I know it's usually
Adventure or
like so you know it's a good pitch it's
a good pitch so anyways right I think
that um we're trying you know I think
that there's like I'll say this right
I'm a business guy right I think YC has
a lot of messaging that's like yeah our
business guy is important D like you
don't need them I agree you don't need
them but I will say this um there are a
lot of very successful non-technical
people in our Network that do amazing
work and I think one of the things that
if you want to learn from them we're
trying to give you one of the most
important patterns we see from those
folks they're great recruiters and they
they do this thought experiment of who's
the best person in the world and they
find a way to get that person to work
with them that's bending the universe to
your will is what that is so you should
hold yourself to their standard and
maybe you'll get their success
all right thanks D
[Music]
thanks
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