How/where to get a CTO/architect onboard?

It's a tough ask because there are so many people looking for developers to work for free and not enough developers around to fill the paid jobs.

However, there are some people who if they love the idea might come on board, more likely as a side project.

To find tech co-founders have a look at the following sites:

https://www.cofounderslab.com/
https://www.founder2be.com/
http://www.founders-nation.com/

There are also meetups and networking events for founders to find tech co-founders try looking through www.meetup.com for ones local to you.

“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” --― George Orwell

But is it true ?

Are all great tech taken ? There are plenty people who are above average in everything. You don't need the best programmer in the world to be a CTO / Architect.

1) In the lack of capital, the only thing you got is your DREAM. Sell the dream and only hire someone who believes in the product/idea. Ask him what his opinion about the product is and how it can be made better.

2) His(or her) and your wavelength should match - If you are the CEO guy, he should be able read you and you should speak a common language or have a similar thought process. CEO owns the product and CTO delivers it.

What skills should you be looking for
1) Technical - If you need CTO/Architect , don't look for a programmer. A word-press or a .net programmer can be your co-founder but he need to have that big picture vision of product. Architects have a high view of product architecture and the 360 Deg view solution delivery. Need not be an expert in everything but should be able to get things done my other developers. ARCHITECT/CTO IS A MINDSET. You need to find people with that mindset.

How to find people with CTO Mindset
1) Ask them about how to build something like facebook. Check if they talk about Performance, scalability, caching,availability etc..
2) Ask how to do it lean (cheap) - They should be able to give you a ROADMAP (that is the skill you are looking for).
3) Are they aware of what is happening in the industry. Ask them what they read and listen to. Your OUTPUT is a SUBSET of you INPUT

Hope that helped. Let me know if you need any friendly help. I am at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nefinjohn

Nefin

Pro-Bono....every senior architect will help you if you have a great concept, you have thought it out, and you are willing to look at all of your own false-positives, and truly go out and validate your idea.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/allenwitters

Navigating the challenge of bringing a CTO or architect on board when you're currently low on capital is a common concern for many startups. Equity can indeed be a compelling option, but finding the right talent, especially in a competitive tech landscape, can be challenging.

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Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or if there's anything specific you'd like to discuss further regarding your startup and technology needs. Cleveroad's experience in providing strategic technology guidance could be instrumental in navigating your current challenges.