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Technical Cofounding 101

Steven Ringo
April 02, 2012
140

Technical Cofounding 101

A talk given in Sydney to a group of eager non-technical entrepreneurs looking to find a technical cofounder for their businesses.

Steven Ringo

April 02, 2012
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Transcript

  1. Technical cofounding 101
    Finding and working with
    a technical cofounder.

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  2. Hi, I am
    Steve Ringo
    [email protected]
    @stevenringo

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  3. What is a
    technical cofounder?

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  4. View Slide

  5. I’ll let you in on a secret

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  6. You don’t need a
    technical cofounder

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  7. You don’t need a
    technical cofounder*

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  8. If not having a technical cofounder is
    preventing you from progressing,
    you’re doing it wrong.

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  9. What stage?
    Idea Launch OMG!

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  10. Minimum Viable Product

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  11. View Slide

  12. Idea Launch OMG!
    Technical
    skill/capacity
    required

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  13. Technical
    Business
    • Business Model
    • Marketing
    • Sales
    • Acquisition
    • Customer development
    etc.
    • Feasibility
    • Basics

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  14. You are gambling

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  15. The dating game

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  16. Start manually

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  17. Wireframes

    Surveys

    Interviews

    Mockups

    Simulations

    etc.

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  18. SaaS

    Tumblr

    Wordpress

    Dropbox

    Surveymonkey

    Mailchimp

    Analytics

    Mechanical Turk

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  19. Learn some of the technical ropes

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  20. Understand
    the technical challenges
    a cofounder might face

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  21. You don’t need a
    technical cofounder
    necessarily
    ^

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  22. Outsource to get a head start

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  23. Don’t outsource your
    core competency

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  24. Do outsource before
    you’re competent

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  25. Don’t be ready to part with
    your equity too early

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  26. You can buy a solution

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  27. *not a real one, anyway :-)
    You can’t buy a cofounder*

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  28. Hangouts

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  29. Technical events

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  30. User groups

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  31. Speed dating events

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  32. View Slide

  33. Managing Software Projects

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  34. Thin slices

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  35. View Slide

  36. Complete & deploy each one first before starting the next

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  37. Drawing interface
    Complete & deploy each one first before starting the next

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  38. Drawing interface
    Sharing & Inviting
    Complete & deploy each one first before starting the next

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  39. Drawing interface
    Sharing & Inviting
    Enhancements. Colours and undo
    Complete & deploy each one first before starting the next

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  40. Drawing interface
    Sharing & Inviting
    Enhancements. Colours and undo
    Publishing and replay
    Complete & deploy each one first before starting the next

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  41. Issue tracking system

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  42. Asset & source control

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  43. Finding Waldo

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  44. “clicking”

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  45. nous & passion

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  46. Good understanding of how
    technology impacts the business and
    vice versa

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  47. Broad understanding of all
    issues of software
    development, deployment and
    management

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  48. Expertise in your domain

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  49. Track record

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  50. Organised

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  51. Idea Launch OMG!
    Technology
    emphasis

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  52. Thank you

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