Look through personal recommendation, specific websites, online platforms, hackathons & incubator programs to find a potential technical co-founder
Let’s say you have an amazing business plan and an MBA to prove your expertise in the sales and business development field. But in this modern age, you will need to implement technical aspects to your business to merely survive in the competition, especially, if it’s a start-up.
This is where technical co-founders become useful. With their aid, you can create sustainable plans. Also, investors will not invest if you do not have a CTO, all this makes them an essential part of your team.
But finding the right candidate can be a difficult task. For starters, you will need someone fully capable and passionate about your business.
Second, you have to provide them with proper incentives to join your company. Since technical co-founders or people working in the technical field are always in demand, you have to make sure you can successfully recruit one.
Where Can You Find Technical Co-Founders?
There are several ways to look for a technical co-founder. Some are more effective based on your present state.
Here are some methods you can use to find an ideal technical co-founder-
1. Websites For Managers & Co-founders
There are plenty of websites that are used as online meetup platforms to find the right candidates for the business. They are easy to use and have specialized filters that can be used to find the right co-founder with the right skill sets.
You can look through these websites and make a list of the top 5 candidates and then choose from among them based on an interview or task whichever you prefer.
Popular websites to search for technical co-founders and co-founders in general are-Founders Nation, CoFoundersLab, Indie Hackers & Starhawk (click here to join the largest online platform for co-founders).
You can also look in the co-founder’s subreddit, Slack channels, or on Linkedin. Professionals are always available on these platforms. And since you are looking for a technical co-founder, searching through digital platforms will be a good idea.
The only downside of these platforms are they highly competitive and you have to make a quick decision whether to recruit or not.
2. Personal & Professional Network
You can first start with your close ones and friend circle. Look for people who know how to work with codes and use them daily. Because you will need someone highly skilled.
Most people make the mistake of not asking their close ones whether they are interested to join or not. If you do not ask them then you will never know.
But if you do not have someone capable among your friend circle or do not want your close ones to be involved in the business then you can look from the people you have previously worked with.
For instance, you may have a broad professional network and work with people who are adept at working on the technical side of a business. It will be easier to find a technical co-founder from those colleagues since you have worked with them previously and have a clear idea about how they work and interact.
You can also ask your close friend or colleagues to recommend someone who they think will be the right fit for your business. Choosing someone among your mutual friends is much easier than going to a conference or reaching out to someone completely unknown.
3. Hackathons
Hackathons are ideal events for talent hunting. The idea of hackathons is to create amazing ideas and work individually or as a team to further develop an idea and bring it to life. Participants also pitch to investors.
You can try out two different approaches. You can either join the hackathon as a participant or keep your eyes open for potential candidates.
If you join in as participants, you will have to work together as a team. There you can pitch your idea to potential investors. You can even find a technical co-founder among those investors. Or you can simply look for people who you find suitable and later approach them.
But, if you are joining another team, keep in mind that they might already have a selected business plan that they want to pitch. So find a team that will be interested in your idea.
The process of finding someone through hackathons can take a while. You may have to spend a day or two and also have to make preparations on how you want to pitch.
4. Incubator Programs
Like hackathons, incubators are also good events for talent hunting. These are designed to find potential entrepreneurs or people with amazing ideas.
These programs are usually founder-centered and look for co-founders, valuable team members, CTOs, and even investors.
The programs can be international and long term. They will also provide mentorship. If you want to look for potential co-founders in incubator programs then you need to invest time and collaborate with multiple people.
This is the longest process out of these four ways.
How To Recruit The Right Technical Co-founder
Now that you know where to look for a co-founder, it is time to discuss how you can select the right one. Of course, he/she needs to be capable but you also have to make a good offer.
Here are some points you should consider while recruiting-
1. Look For The Right Skills
You are not hiring a simple employee. You are hiring someone who will invest in the business equally and will also have equal rights to make important decisions and changes.
Since you are looking for a technical co-founder, he/she should have the following skills-
Skills of technical a co-founder
- Advanced negotiation & communication skills
- Strategic planning & thinking
- Expertise in technical aspects regarding your startup
- Highly creative
- Quick problem solving & decision-making skills
- Ability to lead & negotiate
- Will to learn constantly
- Technical expertise
- Ability to work in teams
- Access & knowledge about advanced technology
- Positive references & competitive portfolio
- A good idea about the current market conditions
They must have the solutions to common technology problems businesses usually face and have new ideas to develop the business and make it more efficient.
2. Reel In A Good Offer
Technical co-founders are always in high demand and have the experience to work in different sectors. If you find someone you want to recruit then you will have to show how joining your business will benefit them.
You have to provide a positive incentive. Give them information on the potential customer base, market competition, growth rate of similar companies, your assumptions, market feedback, and revenue forecast. These things help analyze if a business is going to do good or fail.
If you are on the positive side of all these aspects then you are in a good position to make an offer they will not refuse.
3. Sell Yourself
You and your business will be evaluated by the potential co-founder.
You have to make sure to emphasize the positive side of your business and present a compelling case. Assure him how your vision, connections, expertise, and skills will make your business a success.
You also need to have basic knowledge about the technical side to properly communicate with them and engage in a conversation they will be interested in.
4. Properly Evaluate Selected Candidates
We already mentioned the skills a technical co-founder should have but there are a few more factors that you need to identify.
You have to make sure you and your technical co-founder are on the same page about the future of your business. See if they correlate with your company ethics, missions, and long term commitments.
A co-founder will have a fair share of responsibilities other than handling technical jargon all day long. They will have to participate in management activities. They also need to be willing to invest financially in the business. They should be trustworthy enough so that you do not have to supervise or observe their every move.
5. Clearly Define The Roles & Opportunities
Before sealing the deal you must clearly define all his roles & responsibilities.
You are not hiring another employee, you are hiring someone who has almost equal responsibilities as you. So make sure, he is aware of that.
Get this done in writing so both parties are aware of the agreed-upon fact, the assigned responsibilities, and regular tasks.
And since you are hiring a partner, you have to offer a good monetary incentive. However, the compensation should reflect his services. Do not try to low ball or else you will not get suitable partners but always keep the company equity in check by not paying too much compensation.
Final Thoughts
Building and running your startup can be very difficult, especially if you are doing it all alone. Sooner or later you will need a technical co-founder who is experienced in digital development. Otherwise, you will be unable to run advanced projects and take your startup to the next level. This person will play a crucial part in your business and will have ideas, plans, management plans that will affect your business. So, be sure you choose the right one.
