Startups Stack Exchange Archive

Choosing someone I trust and someone better than me while finishing in another field

I’m in last year of Industrial Engineering and we’re not really taught how to program past the basics of C. For over 4 years I’ve been learning how to do it on my own to the point I’m considered highly competent by other programmers, at work (as a programmer) and by myself. I want to found a startup when I finish my degree.

The main conflict I have is that you only have to get better people than yourself (completely agree) and that you have to know good enough the cofounder(s) and first employees. I know great people in completely unrelated fields (and they’re that good because they love those fields) but I do not know anyone who I can consider better than myself at programming.

Under this situation what would your recommendation be for me to start looking for possible cofounders? I still have some months around my University. Right now my plan is:

Note: I tag hiring because the same will apply ~6 months later if everything goes right.

Answer 1242

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Yes of course you want great people. And of course you want people that are better than you.

But you also need to get going. A startup is a long journey, with lots of ups and downs. You will be amazed how much you learn along the way and how much you’ll grow as a person. Choosing your partners is one of thousands of decisions you’re going to make along your journey. You make a lot of wrong decisions. But that’s all part of the process.

Finding a cofounder and early employees is just one of those decisions. You have a sound strategy in place to meet people in your community and university. Talk to everyone you can and be very discerning. Have the intention of finding the absolute best person for you.

But don’t hold yourself back if you can’t find perfection.

Answer 1243

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