Steve Blank

JUNE 20, 2022

How does a newly hired Chief Technology Officer (CTO) find and grow the islands of innovation inside a large company? How not to waste your first six months as a new CTO thinking you’re making progress when the status quo is working to keep you at bay? But this is the first time he was the CTO of a company this size.

CTO 354

CTO Technical Cofounder CTO Hire Incubator 354

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2023

Even if they realize that they need real technical strength at the top, they are not sure how to attract and select the talent and expertise they really need. Startups succeed most often when the founding partners know how to build and run a business, rather than how to build and run technology.

Technical Cofounder 260

Technical Cofounder Technology Management Entrepreneur 260

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2014

Two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so there is no equity value in the idea alone. Now comes the reality check.

Cofounder 261

Cofounder Stock Founder Technical Cofounder 261

The Next Web

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Two more entrepreneurial ventures later, Gleb cofounded online backup provider Backblaze to help consumers affordably, automatically, and safely back up their data. What are the pros and cons of starting a business alone versus with cofounders? How many founders are too many? One” – You have to have a cofounder.

Cofounder 143

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Kenya Dilution 143

NZ Entrepreneur

MAY 27, 2019

Wondering how to find the right cofounder but don’t know where to start? If you are a solo founder, you may be able to do it all on your own initially but you’re making it very difficult for yourself. In my opinion, founders or early stage companies should only have a team of two or three people. This will never work.

Technical Cofounder 64

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Technical Review Software Review 64

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

I had a recent email dialog with the founder of a company looking for a CTO for their startup. And I tried to evaluate the idea and figure out: What did the founder really need here? Was it a Startup Founder Developer Gap ? Did they really need a Startup CTO or Developer or both?

Technical Cofounder 241

Technical Cofounder CTO Hire Equity Sweat Equity 241

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The trusted leader. The industry veteran.

Technical Cofounder 308

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Advisory Board Stock Options 308

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2014

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The trusted leader. The industry veteran.

Technical Cofounder 245

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Advisory Board Startup 245

SoCal CTO

MARCH 2, 2015

As the organizer of the LA CTO Forum , I get lots of inquiries by job seekers and people looking for CTO / VP Engineering talent. I’ve written quite a bit about aspects of this topic, especially from the perspective of startup founders looking for talent – you can find these in: Startup CTO.

Technical Cofounder 150

Technical Cofounder Los Angeles CTO Hire Part-Time VPE 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so I see no equity value in the idea alone.

Equity 238

Equity Cofounder Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property 238

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2023

Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. The only real alternative is to find a cofounder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product. Otherwise, in my experience, the startup will fail.

Leadership 318

Leadership Technical Review Technical Cofounder Development Team Review 318

Steve Blank

JANUARY 17, 2023

Three types of organizations – Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Studios – have emerged to reduce the risk of early-stage startup failure by helping teams find product/market fit and raise initial capital. They do the most to de-risk the early stages of a startup. Reducing Startup Risk. Carlos stirred his coffee.

Technical Cofounder 346

Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 346

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

New entrepreneurs, especially technical ones, are excited by early adopters, and tend to focus on their feedback, which will always suggest more product features and options. In reality, too many choices actually dilutes customer interest in your existing market, and makes your job of production, marketing, and support much more complex.

Technical Review 400

Technical Review Technical Cofounder Advisory Board Cofounder 400

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 29, 2020

Israeli startups have gained international recognition as cutting-edge enterprises with game-changing potential. This start-up is headed by industry-leading professionals including its CEO and co-founder, Ido Susan, and Hillel Kobrinsky the CSO and co-founder. Namogoo.com. oz-code.com.

Cofounder 147

Cofounder Software Review Technical Cofounder 147

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The trusted leader. The industry veteran.

Technical Cofounder 144

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Advisory Board Startup 144

rob.by

MARCH 8, 2012

Finding Technical Cofounders Is Hard. Yesterday, Michael Pope posted an article titled Technical Cofounders Are a Myth. He argued that software engineers don’t finish what they start, and that you’re better off paying a technical person than partnering with one. Tuesday, August 17, 2010.

Technical Cofounder 42

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Engineering Fractional CTO 42

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2023

In my role as an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often find founders who have such conviction and passion for their new idea, that they can’t believe anyone could challenge it. Bacharach, Cornell Professor and cofounder of the Bacharach Leadership Group. It’s been done before.

Technical Cofounder 341

Technical Cofounder Founder Cofounder Mobile 341

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2013

What's Going to Go Wrong A lot of founders don't really understand Lean Startup principles. Do you have a Technical Advisors: Every Web/Mobile Startup Must Have One ? What's going to go wrong? Have you Documented Your MVP for Your Developer s?

Technical Cofounder 219

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Developers Software Development 219

SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2012

Hiring seems to be the preferred use of seed funds (by investors and founders), whereas I'd prefer a focus on customer acquisition. And that should be the focus of the founders -- to find the special fit that will make your company take off. The startup founder is definitely not ready to hire a CTO. Far from it.

CTO Hire 205

CTO Hire Technical Cofounder Fractional CTO Los Angeles 205

bizthoughts.mikelee.org

MARCH 8, 2012

BizThoughts Thoughts about business, technology, the web & entrepreneurship About Booklist Contact Nov 15 2011 Finding a Technical Cofounder By Mike Lee Categories: Entrepreneurship , Leadership Since I have a technical background, I get about one offer a month to join some engineering team, or to be a technical cofounder.

Technical Cofounder 40

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Technical Review Software Review 40

blog.launchbit.com

MARCH 8, 2012

cofounders. technical cofounder. Why you can(t) recruit a technical cofounder. We know, however, that at some point, especially if you yourself are not technically-savvy, there will be a time where getting some technical expertise on the team is essential to continue progressing. Viewed times.

Technical Cofounder 47

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Equity Differentiation 47

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2022

Startup investors tell me they invest in a new venture with a higher caliber of people, rather than the product or service, and I agree. In my role as a business advisor, I see successful businesses most often emerging from great teams rather than great products.

Hiring 337

Hiring Technical Cofounder Cofounder Retention 337

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2016

I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. Giving a co-founder a salary won’t get you the “fire in the belly” you want. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so I see no equity value in the idea alone.

Equity 120

Equity Cofounder Technical Cofounder Intellectual Property 120

blog.nahurst.com

JULY 19, 2010

Nathan Hursts Blog Thoughts on Software, Technology, and Startups « Back to blog Im on the technical side of entrepreneurship in NYC. The graphic below balances the risks cofounders take with their relative contributions to help answer this question. I love programming, board games, and my wife.

Technical Cofounder 43

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Equity Salary 43

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

A startup is not just about the idea, it’s about testing and then implementing the idea. I was driving home from the BIO conference in San Diego last month and had lots of time for a phone call with Dave, an ex student and now a founder who wanted to update me on his Customer Discovery progress. In fact, it wasn’t even a startup.

Cofounder 336

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Coder 336

The Next Web

JANUARY 30, 2014

George Deeb is the Managing Partner at Chicago-based Red Rocket Ventures , a startup consulting and financial advisory firm based in Chicago. Often times, a startup entrepreneur has a good business idea, but doesn’t know how to build the product or service. Preferably, somebody that I trust who can personally vouch for this person.

Cofounder 136

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Chicago 136

www.virtuosimedia.com

MARCH 8, 2012

Startup Advice. Home ▶ Businesses ▶ Startup Business Advice ▶ Current Page How To Find A Technical Cofounder For Your Online Business Idea. This article should also serve as a starting guide for programmers who are approached about becoming technical co-founders. Copywriting Tips.

Technical Cofounder 41

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Technical Review NDA 41

ryanwaggoner.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Home About Me My Work Hire Me Contact Subscribe How to find a technical cofounder 09.10.10 These “startups&# are almost always mostly-non-technical founders offering 1-2% premoney for a “lead developer&# position. illegitimi non carborundum. You might also enjoy: Why are there so few good developers?

Technical Cofounder 40

Technical Cofounder Technical Review Cofounder Software Review 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

In my years of advising startups and occasional investing, I’ve seen many great ideas start and fail, but the right team always seems to make good things happen, even without the ultimate idea. You need to have a technical genius on the team to get your startup product off the ground. The trusted leader. The industry veteran.

Technical Cofounder 120

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Advisory Board Stock Options 120

blog.captainrecruiter.com

MARCH 8, 2012

Technical Co-Founders Are A Myth. Two years ago I got the bug to do an online recruiting startup and I began the hunt to find a technical co-founder - a software engineer who works for no cash - to help me build my dream website. I learned something: technical co-founders are a myth.

Cofounder 40

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Founder Software Engineering 40

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

What To Look For When Reference Checking Polarizing Entrepreneurs There are certain words I don’t want to hear when doing backchannel references on a startup CEO. Or those special little bombs of a phrase like “enjoys playing founder more than being one” and “tells a good story but no follow-through.” Sketchy would be one.

Technical Cofounder 101

Technical Cofounder Founder Cofounder .Net 101

Hunter Walker

DECEMBER 13, 2020

Can your lack of interest or skill in “selling” be counter-balanced by a cofounder or team that’s great at it? And a non-CEO cofounder who can sell the heck out of your company is just about the next best thing to being skilled yourself. Are you a founder who trained themselves to become a better salesperson? Yes and No.

Technical Cofounder 145

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Startup Matching 145

startupbaltimore.org

OCTOBER 23, 2010

Home Events Calendar Job Board Startup Resources Archives About Contact Interested in an Open-Data Contest in Baltimore? Finding a Technical Cofounder by Mike Subelsky on September 17, 2010 Advice View Comments Over the past 18 months I’ve had the same conversation with about ten entrepreneurs looking to start a software-based business.

Technical Cofounder 40

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Baltimore Maryland 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

In my role as an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often find founders who have such conviction and passion for their new idea, that they can’t believe anyone could challenge it. Bacharach, Cornell Professor and cofounder of the Bacharach Leadership Group. It’s been done before.

Technical Cofounder 315

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Mobile Differentiation 315

www.kernelmag.com

MARCH 8, 2012

The Scene Developers Nailing that elusive technical co-founder. The upshot of all of this is that today’s startups can concentrate maximum time and resources addressing the problems they set out to solve. Are there any ‘Founders Dating’ events coming up?”. New technology for enquiring minds. Andy Young.

Cofounder 43

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Founder Coder 43

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2019

In my experience as a business advisor, that’s probably the biggest hurdle to success encountered by every new business owner. I often recommend to technical entrepreneurs (logical) that they team with a cofounder who has a business perspective (emotional customer appeal). One of these without the other is a recipe for disaster.

Technical Cofounder 244

Technical Cofounder Technical Review Cofounder Cloud 244

David Teten

MARCH 5, 2021

(co-written with Katherine Boe Heuck , a MBA candidate at MIT Sloan (class of 2022); past intern at Versatile VC ; and a current intern at Metaprop NYC.). All of the 40 companies’ 92 founders were male. Of the 19 Western Europe/Israel-based founders, all were white. Of the 43 U.S.-based Of course, this dataset is incomplete.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Founder Technical Cofounder Technical Review 78