"I'll take care of the business side"
If you are a software engineer you have probably been approached by friends/strangers/acquaintances about a "revolutionary" idea they have. You do all of the coding, they take care of the business side.
It's safe to say that you should reject most of these proposals. However, what attributes would sway you to work with a non-technical cofounder?
Sales skills? Design skills? Large network? Previous success? Fundraising experience? Management skills?
Would love to hear what you think.
If I'm working on a tech startup, I wouldn't pick a non technical cofounder under any circumstances.
If it's a business like selling nutritional supplements or a running a marketing agency or something like that, I'd either look for someone who knew the industry inside and out or someone with a large following / email list to help get the endeavor off the ground.
Sales experience is almost always great. Management skills aren't something I'd value early on.
I’m always on the lookout for someone who can sell. That can mean anything from being able to drive traffic, to writing great copy, or being willing to pick up the phone and call potential customers.
But a proven track record in sales often means someone knows what a customer wants, or how they think. It certainly would make me listen to their idea.
As more of a community/marketing founder, I have totally appreciated people who will take care of:
Design has been fairly easy to outsource to a freelancer. And we've never really had a 'sales' team.