If you have a good idea, you don’t need a technical co-founder

Business founders have been receiving flak for not offering much to technical co-founders. Dropmyemail CEO John Fearon responds.

Recently, I read an article by Singapore-based entrepreneur Jon Yongfook talking about how technical-gifted developers get unsolicited idea pitches all the time. I also read another piece debating the appropriate time for entrepreneurs to get a technical co-founder.

I do agree that business minds should have something more than just an idea to secure co-founders.

But I also think that if the idea is that good, it’s worth taking the risk and going solo.

App ideas are a dime a dozen and while anybody can have them, not everyone can build them. This is in part why good coders are in high demand everywhere. Business people shouldn’t think the idea is the “hard” part and that coders are doing the “easy” part of building a product.

At the same time, I think it will be prudent to bear in mind, that to have a successful business venture, all sides will have to bring their A-game. A fantastically developed app with perfect UX and UI can easily slip through people’s attentions due to the myriad of options available in the market.

Technical folks pitch business people to be co-founders all the time as well. Sometimes, an all-technical team generates ideas lacking pragmatism. Developers talking about ideas from their standpoint have pitched me to help them along. They will get excited about starting a business (like yet another food picture app or group discount site), expect to receive government funding, and ask if I can make it a business.

Maybe I’m just too realistic, but I always think to myself — how can this be monetized? Will there be a return on investment? Why will anyone invest? How will there be any traction?

While the developers may be just sharing their initial ideas – I know that if this was brought up at a VC pitch or in a discussion with potential investors, it will likely get shot down quicker than tequila at a bachelor party.

Just like how tech guys focus on coding, business-minded individuals will focus on their skill sets. They will be raising capital, marketing, doing sales, conducting negotiations, networking, pumping social media and executing public relations to make the product rise above the masses.

For any product to succeed, it requires a good mixture of geeks and suits. There is a joint-course conducted by Stanford and University of British Columbia, called “Technology Entrepreneurship”, which is offered in the Business school not in the Engineering or Computing department. The requirement is that the business students are to form teams of four with at least one technically inclined partner to launch a business and pitch it to VCs. This balance in the back office and the front office is required to build something solid that will be sold widely.

Hence, if you are a more business-inclined individual and you want to bring in a technical co-founder, be prepared to have a Unique Selling Point. It can be from having funds, exclusive contacts or inside information. This way everyone brings something special and “equal” to the table.

Nonetheless, my personal take on getting a technical co-founder is that if you have a good enough idea, you don’t need one. The pros of having someone work on the minimum viable product for “free” is outweighed by the cons of diluting your shares and working with someone who may not share your risk appetite.

So here’s my advice to business people who are willing to risk it all on their next big idea in tech: