So you want to be a tech entrepreneur but you’re not a technical person? It sounds impossible, but contrary to popular belief, it can be done. This quote from Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, explains my philosophy on startup success in today’s tech world:
“Startup success is not a consequence of knowing everything. Whether you like it or not, the fate of your startup will rely on multiple brains, not just your own. Creating a tech startup in today’s world can be done by any smart entrepreneur – the key is knowing how to connect with the right network.”
In my experience, startup success is not achieved as a product of knowing everything. In fact, it doesn’t really matter what you know or thinks you know. The success of your startup will ultimately be determined by the people you hire or partner with. By connecting with the right network of people, who will help you foster innovation, your tech startup can overcome having a non-technical founder.
Several of my company’s current clients are success stories of this nature. They overcame having a non-technical founder in the tech space by hiring a technical partner who could fill the gap. The reason these clients are now a major success is due to the fact their non-technical founders found the right partner, who could help them progress without needing to hire a CTO.
Because of the nature of professional networking, online or otherwise, we tend to network with people of similar interests or skillsets. So naturally, not everyone has a network full of CTOs and lead developers. This is the case with many of Zibtek’s clients. Our client, GetAccepted which was recently acquired by The Princeton Review, is an excellent example of overcoming networking constraints and finding the right tech partner. Read our case study about how GetAccepted got acquired.
Working with a tech partner rather than hiring a CTO is not only more cost effective in the short term, it can create growth opportunities in the long term as well. But finding a tech partner who can grow with the company is crucial. As our clients have grown from startups to enterprise companies, they’ve hired CTOs who now direct our team on tasks like QA testing and automation to building out new features in the core product.
Leveraging a tech partner can give a startup the ability to get a lot of software built that can be tailored later on as the needs of the company change. I recommend working with a tech partner who has a proven background in agile development, as the needs of new software are ever-evolving. Not only will agile methods help you build the best product for your buck, but it will also keep your team growing in the leanest way possible.
Need more evidence that smart entrepreneurs can build tech startups without a CTO? Do your own cost comparison and start vetting tech partners. You’ll be surprised what you can achieve without a CTO.
