Tech co-founder?

[olimits7]

Hi,

Has anyone ever had any luck trying to find a tech co-founder online for an ecommerce business partnership?

I've tried everywhere but can't seem to find anyone who would be a good match or any good replies from developers/programmers. I posted in tech and entrepreneur forums, on craigslist, freelancer sites, tech co-founder sites, etc...and nothing.

Thanks,

olimits7

[wheel]

Don't take this as a jab at you - but generally what this arrangement involves is:
- business person has a 'great' idea.
- programmer does all the work without pay.

If the idea's that great and that certain of success, then just pay the developer and keep the ownership to yourself. But of course, the reason most people look for these types of deals is because they don't want to pay the developer...and there's the problem.

[olimits7]

I feel both the programmer and business person are doing work without pay; it's trying to build a successfull business so I don't think anybody involved should be getting paid until the business is profitable.

The programmer would have to do all the work initially before the business person could do all the marketing / advertising of the business. But it's not like I will leave it up to the programmer to do everything himself; I would be there every step of the way collaborating ideas to make the site the best it can be.

It is a great idea, but I don't want to just pay some developer to do the work and then they go on their merry way. A website is always evolving and changes are always needed to scale up. I want to bring on a developer as a buisness partner/team player who has that entrepreneur drive and that will be here from the start and know every thing about the website inside/out.

And from experience, I will never find a developer that has the same drive to make a project successful if they are being paid for it just like a regular job. I want their drive to come from building something successful from nothing; not the weekly checks I provide them for doing programming work.

I work 24/7/365 on my ecommerce business because I'm driven to do so because it's my baby. I would never have that same drive if I was working for someone else's ecommerce site and just being handed a check each week.

[Leosghost]

Evergreen and relevant to this thread [webmasterworld.com...]

[olimits7]

What thread are you referring to?

When I click on that link it takes me back to the Webmasterworld homepage.

[wheel]

I don't think anybody involved should be getting paid until the business is profitable.

Hey, you don't have to justify it to me. I'm just telling you the way it is. You don't think developers should get paid til the project is a success. And developers are mostly sick of that attitude and want to get paid for work, not risk.

Frankly, if I found a developer that was interested in doing all this work for free based on nothing other than their belief in your marketing prowess, I wouldn't hire them anyway. They'd be too green. Successful, experienced developers are already earning an decent living either on their own or working for someone else, they'd have no interest in something like this - as you've just seen.

The idea of splitting potential business in exchange for programming and development has been around for probably 30 years - and developers know better now.

[olimits7]

Yes, that's true!

I just wish I could find a carbon copy of myself as a programmer! haha!

Starting a successful business will not be easy or else everyone would be doing it, but from all the programmers I talked to so far I don't really see any of them having the same hunger as I do.

If I was a programmer and had a passion for programming; I would love to partner up with business ideas that I thought would be successful and just see where it takes me. And if it doesn't gain success, at least I would get more programming experience in. I don't know, I guess some programmers don't have the same mentality that I do. :)

[Leosghost]

This thread ..I copied the link without allowing for the WebmasterWorld redirect the first time ..

[webmasterworld.com...]

I agree with wheel ..

Any developer "worth their salt" ( btw that "expression" derives from "worth a salary" ..or "worth paying" and originates from the latin "Roman soldiers received an allowance of salt, which was called a salarium-- a "salary." A good soldier had to be "worth his salt." ) has already heard offers like yours a great many times ..
it amounts to ..

"you should work for free now ..to make my dreams come true later ..I'm a marketer"

A genuinely good marketer has already made enough money marketing ( whatever they market ..a good marketer can sell ice cream to Inuit ) to pay a developer..up front..

Just like they'd have to pay a builder to build the "wonderhouse" that they are sure they could sell for a profit..

Marketeers are a dime a dozen ..especially here..there are few good ones though ..but all of them are convinced that they are ..

Good programmers or developers are rare..we are fortunate to have those that do contribute and solve peoples code problems etc ..for no pay..

[andyll]

As a developer I'll play devils advocate for a moment...

The developers here seem to be equating the coding as the full amount of development to be done.

In reality... to launching a new product requires many of the following: Functional design, technical design, POC, story boards, market research, useage testing, QA, pre-rollout marketing, funding, marketing, beta support, live support.

In reality a large percentage of the tasks need not be performed by the developer.

In my case a good acquaintance had an idea and wanted me to participate in it. After I spent several days researching and thinking I agreed.

With in days of my agreeing we had set up a LLC with the 2 of us being equal partners.

I am doing the coding for free and he is funding it out of his own pocket. It's been less then a month and he's already out of pocket over 5K and will be out of pocket well over 10k by launch.

So far he has likely spent as much time as I have on this project. As I complete areas of the project it will be his responsibility to get it tested... including hiring QA people if needed.

So olimits... is this the kind of deal you are offering your developer?