Great hackers know that they can build anything; what they don't know is what they should be building. My problem is the opposite. I know what to build because I have customers who are clamoring for it, but I don't have the right people to build it.
Your skills: Database guru, VB6 tinkerer (not a typo!), browser-to-hardware connectivity hacker, RoR lover.
One co-founder can complement the other, so you don't have to have all the skills.
My background: 10 years in ecommerce at founder/ceo level. Have developed a working app by hiring coders, and even have paying customers, but ran out of money and went back to investment banking. But the entrepreneural bug bites, and bites real bad. Meanwhile, the app continues to run and generate revenue. A month ago, I came across PG's writings and this forum, and now I am convinced that I was doing it wrong - instead of paying unmotivated coders, I should have brought on two hackers as my partners and co-founders.
Ideally, you should be based in Orange County CA where I am, so we can fully develop the core system in the next few months. We will then apply to YC's fall program, so you must be willing to move to the Bay Area.
While I am confident that YC will accept us (PG's Viaweb experience will create tremendous leverage), there are two other routes we can take - apply for Charles River's $100k-$250K program, or completely bootstrap this and not seek any outside capital.
Your equity is fully negotiable. If you are a true hacker, I need you and you need me. This Steve Jobs is seeking two Wozniaks!
Send me your background info to: me.jobs.r.u.woz at gee male dott comm.
The user-facing part of the system is currently a VB client app. It's horrendous, but guess what - users love it because it meshes with the rest of their work environment, which is hardware devices connected to their PCs as well as other VB apps. The reason I would like at least one of my co-founders to know VB well is that when migrating this app to a web based equivalent, we want to preserve the essence of what is working. That delicate transplant surgery can be successful only when the team is well versed in web technologies as well as VB.
The problem with posts like this is that a lot of hackers here see themselves more like an all coding, all designing Steve Jobs rather than just Wozes who need a Steve.
...but not all of us. There must be a bunch of hackers here who'd rather not deal with people, but feel forced to because, well, who else is going to?
By the way, Steve Jobs is more of a design critic and salesman than designer. It takes different skills to do well at being a novelist vs. a book critic.
I suggest that you start teaching yourself to code while you wait for a wozniak. You need to know your program inside out and the best way is to learn code to assist your programmer to do minor tasks.
Leonidas is 100% right. Learn by poking around, google things or read books, thats one way you will be able to guide programmers. Sometimes it so happens that whatever you want may not be done with the tech u r using, so its better you also get technically sound ... think on those lines and advice/guide people to approach things
Mukund explained what I was trying to say much better.
Learning the code will allow you to better understand and communicate with your programmer. Besides, if there are minor things like registration problems or design issues, you can do it yourself as opposed to bugging the programmer who is handling the major programming parts. Can you imagine the 'business' co-founder bugging the hell out of the programmer to take ONE word out of a category title while the programmer is trying to go through hundreds of lines to fix a major bug that is much more important than a category title?
I know everyone keeps saying "Wozniak needs a Jobs" and vice versa ...but in 'Wozniak' I bet there was a little 'Jobs' and in "Jobs" there was a little 'Wozniak'. Otherwise, there would be no way in hell they would have gotten along and worked together successfully.
Mukund and Leonidas, I have a reasonable understanding of programming; I designed and helped build a significant part of the code. I did not mean to appear as if I have no knowledge of, or desire to, learn code. But the opportunity I am talking about is to complete the transformation of the current app at hyper speed, so that we can fill the need right now, not in 12 months or longer. Surely, if the demand is as great as I am saying, someone will fill the gap very soon.
hey dont take it seriously, i was just kidding on the programming part. I was giving what worst could happen. So if you have built and designed things then its better. We dont know what you are so we just assumed you to be like another manager guy
Thanks for the suggestion; I am trying to avoid this path, as my best case outcome is that I will be an ok programmer - and that's not good enough to succeed. To win today, you have to have a real team.
Well if you dont get good on tech side, you will see a dangerous thing creeping behind you bwahahahhaha (yeah u will hear that laugh this way) and this dreaded thing is losing your independence and become a puppet in the hands of your coder partners ;-) (just kidding), but think on these lines too, what will happen if those 2 woz tie u up for ransom? :D
That's why I am looking for great hackers, as opposed to good hackers. Great hackers know that the value of the group is greater than the sum of its parts ;-)
Sorry, but saying you're a Jobs doesn't make you one. There's more to Steve Jobs than being "non-technical" with "business experience." While he wasn't a programmer, Steve Jobs is a bona fide hacker in the bigger picture.
And comparing most hackers to Woz is like trying to compare professional basketball players with Michael Jordan.
You are right of course; I am somewhat hesitant to provide more details about it here. Judging from the handful of emails I have received, this is a good way to get the word out, and the real discussions can take place offline.
22 comments
[ 2.5 ms ] story [ 62.8 ms ] threadYour skills: Database guru, VB6 tinkerer (not a typo!), browser-to-hardware connectivity hacker, RoR lover.
One co-founder can complement the other, so you don't have to have all the skills.
My background: 10 years in ecommerce at founder/ceo level. Have developed a working app by hiring coders, and even have paying customers, but ran out of money and went back to investment banking. But the entrepreneural bug bites, and bites real bad. Meanwhile, the app continues to run and generate revenue. A month ago, I came across PG's writings and this forum, and now I am convinced that I was doing it wrong - instead of paying unmotivated coders, I should have brought on two hackers as my partners and co-founders.
Ideally, you should be based in Orange County CA where I am, so we can fully develop the core system in the next few months. We will then apply to YC's fall program, so you must be willing to move to the Bay Area.
While I am confident that YC will accept us (PG's Viaweb experience will create tremendous leverage), there are two other routes we can take - apply for Charles River's $100k-$250K program, or completely bootstrap this and not seek any outside capital.
Your equity is fully negotiable. If you are a true hacker, I need you and you need me. This Steve Jobs is seeking two Wozniaks!
Send me your background info to: me.jobs.r.u.woz at gee male dott comm.
I'd say you're out by a factor of two taking into account the 'reality distortion field' ~ http://tinyurl.com/2qznlq
By the way, Steve Jobs is more of a design critic and salesman than designer. It takes different skills to do well at being a novelist vs. a book critic.
Learning the code will allow you to better understand and communicate with your programmer. Besides, if there are minor things like registration problems or design issues, you can do it yourself as opposed to bugging the programmer who is handling the major programming parts. Can you imagine the 'business' co-founder bugging the hell out of the programmer to take ONE word out of a category title while the programmer is trying to go through hundreds of lines to fix a major bug that is much more important than a category title?
I know everyone keeps saying "Wozniak needs a Jobs" and vice versa ...but in 'Wozniak' I bet there was a little 'Jobs' and in "Jobs" there was a little 'Wozniak'. Otherwise, there would be no way in hell they would have gotten along and worked together successfully.
And comparing most hackers to Woz is like trying to compare professional basketball players with Michael Jordan.