Question
Should I keep trying to find a tech-co-founder (tough for a new guy in town on the idea stage), or just hire a dev shop or freelancer first?
Background:
- I have a well thought out business plan, a financial model, and wireframes
- I have a budget of $10k or less
- I live in Silicon Valley
- I work full time at a bank that specifically lends to VC-backed tech startups
- I have no tech skills, but decent business, management, and finance skills
Answer
If you are thinking about raising money, you must have a technical co-founder.
As suggested by Cooper, first thing I would do is figure out whether there is demand for the product you plan on building. A good way to get consumer feedback is via landing/lead pages. You can run a add on Facebook or any other social media for quick feedback.
Once you have data that shows demeand for your product, you should focus on getting a technical co-founder. I would highly recommend not to hire a freelancer or dev shop to build the first iteration (especially since you have no tech skills). Having an in-house expert and building the web app right from the beginning will save you from many headaches in the future. Focus all your energy on finding a technical co-founder, that will be the best use of your time at this point.
