6. Entrepreneur's Dilemma: How Do You Find Your Technical Co-Founder?

This new generation of entrepreneurs is steeped in industry experience. They are identifying real industry and social problems. They envision the solution but lack the skill to create the product. 

I interview two founders at opposite ends of the process. David is currently looking for a tech co-founder. Michael found his tech co-founder. Listen to these two founders tell you what they learned in solving this problem.

The SmartPM Story

Michael Pink is the founder and CEO of SmartPM. Michael was a Deloitte consultant to the construction industry. He provided property owners and contractors the information they needed to settle disputes. Michael became an expert at analyzing complex construction projects and summarizing the data needed by all to move the projects forward. He got so good at it, he decided to start SmartPM and automate what he did manually. 

The problem was, he needed a technically focused partner to build the product long-term. He went on a long search and found the right person after spending $300k on outsourced versions of his product.

The M Cultivo Story

My son David Paparelli has worked in the coffee industry for the last eight years. He knows the industry from farm to retail. He created M Cultivo to help farmers internationally achieve a living wage through better pricing data. He’s identified the problem and created the MVP, and now he needs help building the product. He’s looking for the technical lead who will join him in achieving his vision.