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Ask HN: How do entrepreneurs find programmers to team up with for startups?

3 points by jchiang ↗ HN
I wanted to try to find out how startup entrepreneurs without a programming background (like myself); can find a programmer to team up with for a new start up. Do you find potential partners at events? Is there a website with a list of events that you can go to, to meet these programmers or other aspiring entrepreneurs with programming experience? Is there a network? I have the idea but getting the idea onto a website and making it work is what I’m having trouble with. Any help would be much appreciated.

7 comments

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nostromo
Step one: learn how to Google ;-)

http://www.google.com/search?q=site:news.ycombinator.com+fin...

jchiang
Haha. Thanks. Appreciate it.
dgunn
Learn how to google is actually better advice than you may think. If you're serious about this, you should pick a skill that is commonly necessary in a startup (hacking, design, business relationships, PR, something??) and master it. Best place to start is that little box under the google logo. My team has two members. We're both hackers and we just learn to do the other stuff as needed. Good luck!
eggbrain
I have the idea but getting the idea onto a website and making it work is what I’m having trouble with

Having an idea is worth nothing. Creating that idea is everything. Unless you have other talents besides being an idea man, no engineer worth his salt will work with you.

That being said, there are a few avenues you can look into. The first, and most obvious, is to pay a programmer. Easier said than done, as there are a ton of startups that are willing to pay market rate + benefits and bonuses just to get good programmers (See Hipser giving $10,000 and PBR for a year to anyone they hire)

The second is to get a friend to help you out, or convince someone to work for you. Very difficult, but they might agree to this, on the assumption that they get a majority of the equity. I mean, implementation of the website is huge over just having an idea, so it actually makes sense that they would get the majority of equity.

Finally, one of the best ways I've found was to learn programming. Yes it sucks, and yes it won't be perfect, but if you just get a prototype up that shows what you attempt to accomplish, programmers will be much more willing to sit down and talk with you.

You can go to events and stuff and talk to people, but to be honest, I've heard many people pitch me their next "grand" idea, they just needed someone to program it for them, who will work for little or no money, and little equity.

glimcat
Startup land is the land of many hats. I've seen some seriously shoestring-and-bubblegum prototypes that were cobbled together by people with little to no relevant background. Both engineers and investors will respect that way more than your PowerPoint deck, even if it has to be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch.
flignats
Find out where a bunch of programmers like hang out after work. Find a single programmer of the opposite sex, seduce them, and then start a relationship with them.

You'll have a much easier time convincing your partner to build you a mvp rather than a stranger :)

hdeo
Check out co-founder needed meetups as well as forums like SV Forum & TIE

And may be post here what your idea is and what you need from your cofounder?