[cocokr1sp]

I see Genghis as a solution to the question so many non-technical entrepreneurs ask (while pissing a lot of people off): "I have an idea, what do I do next?"

I think the question from non-tech people that infuriates those that are technical is, "I have an idea, want to help me build it?"

I like your approach here, but I don't think you've sold yourself enough. What experience do you have validating ideas, marketing products, and getting traction?

[thehooplehead]

Understanding this perspective will be a huge benefit to anyone who wants to contribute as a non-technical founder. About 6 years ago, at the end of undergrad, a technical friend and I started working on a project. I had made websites, built computers, dabbled in minor coding, but really wasn't that technical. I had no clue what to do and he probably wasn't comfortable giving direction. I left the project when I felt I couldn't make an equal contribution.

Working for six years made it obvious how valuable it is to be able to get things done offline, in a nontechnical way by planning, finding resources, etc.

Now I've become a lot more technical, the programmer of the office (VBA, ugh) to a programmer without caveats. Non-technical friends ask me to be their tech co-founder, but they have no clue how much work the technical side entails -- they probably still think freelance programmers should cost them $20/hr.

Also, non-tech friends will ask if they can help with my project. I can see what I would need in a non-tech founder, but a lot of times its hard to convey that to people. It's especially hard convey to someone how much effort you expend maintaining a codebase or implementing features to a non-technical person.

Best luck with Genghis and your co-founder search. I hate to be a downer, but personally, I'd never take a non-technical founder that I didn't know beforehand. It's hard enough to gauge the skill/reliability of a tech co-founder/freelancer (with structured, defined abilities and past projects). I wouldn't be comfortable assessing someone as a cofounder based on soft-skills. It's not a statement on their relative contribution, but more on my confidence in my own estimation.

*By technical, I'm also including people with domain knowledge.

[iamari]

Thanks for your feedback and advice. It's very valuable. And much appreciated, especially considering that you are both technical and non-technical.

I don't think I will actually do Genghis, it was just an idea that popped up! I saw it as something to help first time founders get started in startups: both technical and non-technical people.

I think the message I would have personally tried to get across is that your first one or two startups are going to fail, so your best bet would be to get started, meet new people and get some experience. I saw data that that indicated that the majority of successful technology companies are founded by an average of three people, all of which have known each other for many years and have worked together on previous projects. The conclusion from that was to "just get out there and start your first company. It's the best way to make the contacts and find the cofounders for your next startup."

What are your thoughts? Would love to hear them.

[iamari]

Yes, you're right! Thank you for pointing that out.

If anyone is actually interested, happy to jump on Skype and discuss more details :)