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Scale dna howtofinda-technicalcofounder-20121105
1. HOW TO FIND AND VET
A TECHNICAL
COFOUNDER
FreelanceCTO – FastStartStudios – November
2012
2. How to Find and Vet a
Technical CoFounder
Agenda
Introduction and Quick Survey
What are we talking about?
Who am I?
Who are you?
Presentation
Questions and Wrap-Up
3. FreelanceCTO is a
Technical CoFounder
Founding Engineer for first commercial Internet
company: HotWired/Wired Digital
Founder Status at 10+ companies over 20+ years
40+ companies and products over 20+ years
Company stages include Bootstrap, Seed, Angel,
VC (Series A,B, C), Fortune 500
Funding ranges from 0 to $60M+ over multiple
rounds
Team sizes range from under 5 to over 150
Acquisitions range from $10M to $4B+
4. Questions for Audience
About You:
First-time founder? First-time technology
founder?
Business background? Technology
background?
Launching a new product?
Overhauling an existing product?
How many of you are having problems?
5. The Talent Landscape
All techies are working.
If not, it is their choice to not work.
The economy is in bad shape. Technology is
not!
It takes too long to find talent.
Above 30 (or after 2 or 3 startups), techies
build their own companies
Local colleges started targeting startups 1 or 2
years ago
6. You…in the Eyes of a Techie
Techies have heard it all before
Hype: world-changing, but “I can’t tell you what it
is”
Terminology: “revolutionary” terminology =
unfunded
All techies have been burned
Techies are the “belle of the ball” at practically
every tech event. It can overwhelm them
You have an unrealistic budget (time, money,
or both)
7. CoFounder Goals
Determine the following:
Do you need full-time technical leadership?
Is CoSourcing an option?:
Meet as many techies as you can
Get expert help
A little help: Technical Adviser (free)
Some help: Technical Adviser (paid)
A lot of help: CTO (paid)
Build trust over time with the techies you meet
8. Where to Find Your
CoFounder?
Your personal network
Technology Meetups
Meetup verticals with bad reputations with
techies:
Entertainment
Business Development, Marketing, and Sales
Ask an expert which ones you should go to
Hackathons
Bring your own team or join lots of teams
Local Universities(?)
9. Interviewing Your CoFounder
If you are a techie: If you are not a techie:
Smarts Skills
Culture Smarts
Skills Culture
Ask your potential CoFounder to draw your
business:
• Diagram with only boxes & arrows 1 in 10
Only
• Use generic terms techies can do
it!!
• Avoid using brand names
10. After Hiring Your CoFounder
Seed, Feed, and Weed
Fire Fast!!!!
Learn how to interpret and listen to your gut
instincts