Technical Talent for Non-Technical Founders

Technical Talent for Non-Technical Founders

• 1.
  Product Development for Non-TechnicalFounders Isaac Sukin
• 2.
  Talent Options Type Hourly rate Student $20-40 Outsourcing $15-35 Freelancer $40-150 Consultant $75-250 Agency $100-400 Employee $20-80 Cofounder Equity Yourself Opportunity cost
• 3.
  Where to Look • PennApps • Campus events • General job boards • Specialized job boards • Social media • LinkedIn • Other networking events
• 4.
  Attracting Engineers • Manytop coders are bombarded by recruiters • Recognize that they might be doing most of the work at the beginning • Focus on the right perks – Professional development (responsibility, open-source) – Environment (team, interesting problems, workspace) – Upside • Focus on the entire candidate experience – Fast communication – Transparency – Don’t be redundant – Be consistent – Evaluate for the skills you’re looking for • Lean towards ability to learn over topical knowledge • Do your research
• 5.
  How to KnowWho to Hire • Strong communication skills – Ask them to explain technical concepts in a way anyone could understand • Amount of experience (ask for resume) • Pursues side projects (ask for github) • Ask a more technical friend to help assess the hire’s work quality – For more experienced people you can also ask for references • Validate preferred technology choice based on cost of switching and maintenance • Find out whether the hire prefers purity or practicality
• 6.
  Working with Engineers •Try to learn their language • Work closely to develop precise specifications and expectations • Give them space – A lot of software development is creative, not mechanical • Let them choose their toys • Be flexible with working hours