If you want to create a startup, and you've never done that before, you should consult the resources that are relevant to your situation.
First important thing to keep in mind: your idea is worth nothing, it's execution that matters the most.
- My criteria for helping startups: So, you need help with your startup? Here’s how to ask for it.
- Gentle explanation: Why No One Will Steal Your Startup Idea (video)
- Mathematical demonstration: Ideas are just a multiplier of execution
- Angry reaction by Gary Vaynerchuk: You're Out of Business, towards entrepreneurs who ask him to sign a NDA in order to protect their idea pitch, and whine about the difficulty of finding developers.
- No, I won’t be your technical co-founder by Martin Grüner
- [FR] Entrepreneurs, ne croyez pas en vos idées !, par Camille Roux
- [FR] "Une idée n'est qu'une idée. Il est peu probable que ce soit l'idée du siècle, donc ne la mettez pas en avant."
- Is it foolish to go to Startup Weekend-like events and widely pitch my "next Facebook" idea in search of co-founders? on Quora
- William Pietri's answer to Where can I find developers willing to join my startup? on Quora
- [FR] Comments on Comment trouver un associé "développeur" ? by Guilhem Bertholet
- Shubham's rant: "I have the best startup idea, I just need a developer now !"
- [FR] ... et, mon point de vue sur la question: Pourquoi je ne veux pas être ton CTO
- [FR] Video: Nanterre Deter #5 : Testez votre idée en 48h by Côme Courteault (The Family)
- [FR] Outils pour tester ses hypothèses sans dev: Nanterre Deter Toolbox (Google Docs)
- [FR] Introduction au concept de "prétotyping"
- [FR] Exemples de Prétotyping
- [FR] Exemple de growth hacking astucieux: Le fake de Bricool
- The Pretotyping Cheatsheet
- Better product definition with Lean UX and Design Thinking, by Jeff Gothelf (Video)
- [FR] Codez votre premier site web sur Le Wagon On Demand ou Wild Code School
- [FR] Apprenez à coder vous même votre prototype, grâce à la formation Pimp My App
- [FR] Passe ton code d'abord !, par Simplon.co
- So You Want to Learn How to Code (tl;dr: try Codeschool, Codeacademy, Coursera...)
- Then build your product using startup tools
- Or use a service to easily build e-commerce websites: SquareSpace
When approaching developers, keep in mind that:
- They have ideas too, except they probably don't need you for implementing them.
- They will like you if you are impressed by their side projects and problem solving skills.
- They will appreciate your confidence, but make sure to keep cool and humble.
- They hate being considered as coding slaves at your service. => Show what you bring on the table. (cf [FR] Pourquoi je ne veux pas être ton CTO)
- They expect you to be good at something, but may not know the usefulness and/or difficulty of these skills.
- They hate bullshit => express yourself clearly and concisely.
Here are a few ways to reach developers:
- Train your pitch, create a nice profile, and try to seduce developers online:
- [FR] 1stDev
- Teamizy
- Ideasvoice
- [FR] Skill2invest
- [FR] TiKi4
- Go out and talk to them directly:
- [FR] Comment réaliser son MVP / séduire un CTO (Video Youtube)
- SeedNetworking (speed dating for CEO and CTOs)
- Adopt a CTO
- Local Meetups and dev conferences to talk with developers (humility, confidence and listening skills are your best friends)
- And susbcribe to your city's Startup Digest to know about upcoming events.
- If it does not work, sponsor a developer meetup that is the most relevant to your startup ideas
Whenever you think that you found a potential associate, you should definitely read this advice: The Perfect Co-founder Checklist; 12 ways to tell if you’ve found The One to work with, from someone who spent 3 years looking.
- Price estimator (by Crew or by Yeeply) or [FR] Combien coûte la création de mon application?
- Define your app requirements => direct links to template and instructions
- ...and, if it's a web project relying solely on Javascript platforms (Node.js, Meteor.js, Phonegap), ask me!
These stories can help you understand why it's not as easy as you think to build a successful startup:
- Plancast, an event sharing network
- WeLoveSaaS/Calabio by Guilhem Bertholet
- AllMyApps by Thibauld Favre
- tKaap by Sylvain Weber
...and many more
- [FR] Oussama Amar, sur l'entrepreneuriat: Les caractéristiques de l'entrepreneur qui réussit (très bon interview!)
- "le courage est la mère de toutes les qualités"
- les caractéristiques de l'entrepreneur: détermination, flexibilité, l'imagination, la ruse (malin / naughty), la fidélité
- [FR] Plein de bons conseils pour la suite: "Evaluer son fucking problème", par Oussama Amar
Great books to read:
- Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application by 37signals (creators of Basecamp)
- The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
Thanks for a helpful and comprehensive guide on how to find a CTO. It covers various aspects, including skills, experience, and qualities to look for in a CTO, as well as practical strategies for sourcing and evaluating potential candidates. If you're in the process of building your startup team and wondering how to find CTO for startup, this post is a must-read resource that offers valuable insights and actionable tips.