I have started a startup and don't have any experience in startups and putting in my own money, $250,000. How do I find the right technical people?

I think you will likely get many different answers to this question, but my personal believe is that if you are building a software-based business and you don't have experience and you don't already have the right connections, your best shot at success is going to be if you do all the technical work to start with. I would even recommend that if you have zero technical experience right now. You may read about other people that somehow start businesses without doing this, but either A) they are extremely lucky or B) they already have connections/experience/a network that they can rely on.

It is going to be a slower process than you would like because you are going to have to get your hands dirty, but this is going to greatly increase your odds for success in the long run.

Don't start off looking for partners.

Try a few consulting calls to frame the overall IT strategy. Talk to people with nothing to sell you; that's important. Figure out what work needs doing, what skill sets are needed, how long things should take, how much they should cost, etc. Get more than 1 opinion.

Then try your own hand at things. Doing some of the setup yourself – even if you fail – will give you enough of an introduction to the topic to be able to communicate with team members better later on. Just a bit of vocabulary and some sense of their pain points will go a long way. You'll know what to ask for and what to listen to.

Before you hire anybody on a permanent basis, hire various people for small component jobs. Based on what they're able to deliver and the rapport between you, you can gradually hire them for more work.

If you go straight for goal of having "the right technical people", you might settle too early on and wind up dependent on someone who really isn't a good fit. However, you won't have worked with enough technical people to be able to tell.

Sounds like dating advice, doesn't it?

I have started numerous companies and have spent the maximum of $50,000 but most $1,000 or less. If this is all your money you have I would be extremely careful. I don't know what business it is in but I would certainly want to have done some test marketing before hand so that I would know for certain my product will work. I have several friends that have millions but they don't put anything out their without testing for a few thousand. Call me and I can see how I can help you with this decision.

There are several avenues and approaches to finding technical talent. Not knowing much about the nature of your business, I am assuming you need technical talent to develop your product/platform.

For a non-technical founder it is best to find a partner or co-founder that can fill in the technology gap. You may have a great business idea but as you hit the road, you will need ample expertise and support for technology. To connect with the right technical person you could connect with people on LinkedIn. I have also found good talent on Angel List, Founders Dating and Clarity.

If you choose to go the route of finding consulting/contracting tech resources then eLance- Odesk, freelancer and several other platforms can serve your needs. I would recommend the former approach though.

As a technologist, I have a Network of connections I could recommend once i learn more about your need. Give me a shout and I would be happy to share more insights. Good luck !