I'm broke and non-technical, trying to develop tech startup
Before COVID, I started a marketing and consulting services in Nepal, which failed horribly leaving some thousand in debt. Since, I'm trying to develop a product for high school graduates and entrepreneurs to help finding out PMF and FMF, leaving no burden to start their journey as I've been there. I'm 22 now and the most productive age is slipping out of hand.
The FMF and PMF doesn't have strong back support inside south Asia, as compared to west. Though, investors are interested and non-technical individuals have 46% and 68% positive response on it.
How to get started from zero? And what's the right way and path to start and work on? I'm good at research, communication, presentation and management.
I don’t think non-technical people should build tech startups. It can work, but it’s harder. Have you considered getting some technical skills?
How did you decide on the current business? Do you have sales? Pre-orders? Why high school graduates? Do they have the money to buy what you’re selling?
I'm trying to develop it. It's a emerging market in Asia, and there are 4 startups trying to enter.
It's a product, which will be free until they start revenue. A one stop solution for startups and founders on finding out product market fit and founder market fit.
Do not attempt a software business unless you are a programmer. Period. Full stop. It will just be an endless money pit and you won't know how to stop it or fix it. Instead, partner with someone who is a developer and needs your skills.
I don't think this is true.
More like do not attempt a business where you need an outside bespoke skill unless you know how to make bets, limit your losses, deal with contractor, agencies or employees who may do a bad job or rip you off.
The word bespoke is there because some things can be outsourced more easily like legal, accounting, hosting etc.
True in those domains. Not true in software. I can't think of a successful software business started by a non-developer. Is there one?
I would add here that bespoke actually means custom. The other disciplines you mentioned are commodities. You can get them everywhere. If you are starting a film studio, you must have a director first because every film is bespoke. You would farm out the commodities like accounting, lighting, etc.
All software is new and bespoke, otherwise we're not writing software we're just integrating existing parts, and that's the difference between IT (and CI/CD) and architecture/programming. You can hire for all of those, of course, but you cannot be at the helm of a company that depends on bespoke architecture and programming without being that person yourself.
I'm looking for a partner, co-founder to work on it. And the condition is I can't pay now, but as soon as we raise funds, or sell after some thousands users ( within a year), I'll pay half of it.
I'm 38 and 10x more productive than when I was 22. You'll be fine.
Do the hard work and seek headaches. Don't quit learning and practicing until the headache resolves. That builds your value.
With more urgency comes haste. And with haste comes waste. Slow down to speed up. Make reasonable goals with milestones to checkin progress.
Of these goals, learn to program. Choose a backend, it doesn't matter much which one. Flask to Rails. Build a web app (HTML template stuff) and an API with that. Then choose a front end, from HTMX jazzing up that HTML template to React.
Spend 3 months on the back end part time 2 hours per week. Spend 3 months on the front end.
During this, delve into stuff like basic keeping a VPS/Linux secure. CSS. Database should take care of itself so long as you use something like SQLAlchemy (Flask) or similar but by all means figure out 'why' and 'how' indexing etc work.
Be patient. Six months later you'll be 22½.
I'm actually cold blooded, with no actions until research and insights to support the work. I choose a path to be in finance, and law, developing good communication and presentation skills. Actually, fluent on communication and management skills.
And I'm afraid of being on two boats, neither technical, nor non-technical. As of now, I'm good at research only.
I'd suggest either learning to code before, or partnering with a technical co-founder–even split. Don't hire developers until you have PMF and strong revenue.
If you wanna learn to code, there's a few good udemy courses (get a project based one). Start with JavaScript. Just so you know this will take a long time, but you'll understand your product better and it will benefit you more in the long run.
If you don't have one, get a job to pay off the debt and get stable. Build out your business project as side hustle if you must.
If you can get a job that helps your career. Career means anything not necessary working in a job forever. But if you pick up a skill like web dev that'll help you as a founder and as a worker.
This reminds me of when I had a conversation with my parents about going full in on my sideproject and dropping out of uni when I was 21 ; insisted if not now then never because i'm almost 25 and that was it then; old age, misery, brain gone etc etc. I am in my 50s now and more productive than ever. I made most money end 20s (my sideproject of my begin 20s failed) and begin 30s selling 2 companies for (then) fairly large amounts. But I did many more since then. Just continue; fail, go again etc.
Start with clarifying the product details. You mentioned a product to help find PMF (Product - Market Fit) and FMF (By the way, could you elaborate on what exactly FMF means? I'm not sure about its specific definition). How will the product achieve this? For example, will it provide data research tools or integrate industry case analyses?
Founder market fit, actually a co-founder matching platform, with integrated PMF and projects on it. For high school grads and individuals, understanding asian market sentiment.
The data, insights and information from the platform will be highly valuable for VCs and investors.
Our priority is on PMF, providing a roof for investors, entrepreneurs and startups.
You're 22, get any technical adjacent job you can whether in sales or devops or whatever, then learn to code over the next 2 years, and build your startup from there. Without technical skills, you cant build your product and you cant properly direct a developer to build it either. Until you have that knowledge you're just another daydreamer wasting people's time.
> I'm 22 now and the most productive age is slipping out of hand
I'm 50 and WTF does that mean? You were still a teenager a few years ago.
Isn't 23 the finest age in humans? I tried when I was 17 to retire in 24.
I've $13 k debt to pay within a year from previous startup. And I don't have any way till now to payback.
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Don't focus on your limitations, if you're not technical, get someone who is to join you, it could be a friend, colleague, etc. Since you don't know how to code, try using no-code tools, they're tons of them out there. If you have a good enough idea and know how to communicate it effectively, there's no limit on what you can achieve and since your cash strapped, maybe consider applying to accelerators, there some that consider founders at an ideation stage, just remember that the only person who can make your startup work is you, Goodluck.
Do sales, build client network.
Learn to code.
I don't wanna learn coding. I'm good at management, presentation, communication, negotiation and debate. It's 'cause of the fear that I might end up as jack of trades, neither professional on technical nor non-technical.
22 years old.
> good at management, presentation, communication, negotiation and debate.
You should learn to code, those other things you think you're good at, I think you're being deluded about what you actually bring to the table.
I don't mean to condescend but you haven't done any of those things yet either.
To put this into context, THERE ARE 22 years old who work with CEOs and advise VPs of f500 companies, and even they haven't REALLY done any of those things yet.
I've worked as immigration counselor, and marketing executive and currently tutorial students just for living.
But the things is I'm more research oriented before taking action on something.
A million other people are good at that, likely better than you. Why would someone work with you?
Learn to code.
Sales is the thing that matters on the product, to get the return and I'm ready for sales. I can manage sales, and business development, along with operations.
If I tried to get hands on everything, I'll end up with nothing.
So join a startup where someone is already working to make the product.