Why is it so Hard to be a Non-technical Founder?

Brian Chesky of Airbnb, Alex Turnbull of Groove HQ, and many, many more are living proofs that being a non-technical founder isn't a barrier to creating a high-impact tech company. While the path may be steeper for them, they seem to compensate it by bringing a different set of skills – business development, sales, and marketing, which are just as important to a startup’s success.

But in order to be one of the legends, there is a loooot of learning involved, and what better way to learn than from the mistakes that other people have already made? In our text, we’ve focused on outlining the most common problems and mistakes that ensnare many ambitious non-technical founders. From the importance of aligning with user feedback to the critical nature of understanding market fit – every single one of these things can be a difference between becoming the next unicorn and becoming a part of statistics.

1. It’s Easy to Get Dreamy

Leading a tech company with no technical expertise often results in overly optimistic expectations. Non-technical founders frequently imagine grandiose outcomes, aiming to dazzle investors, partners, and customers—essentially everyone except the developers, who, in the end, are the ones tasked with materializing these aspirations.

A lack of grip on the technical side, in this case, means a lack of grip on reality.

Estimating a New Feature or the Product Development Timeframe

Non-technical founders are often guilty of underestimating the duration required to develop and implement new features or entire products. They might mistakenly believe that all of the stages of software development—requirement analysis, design, coding, testing, and deployment—can be compressed into an overly simplistic timeline.

No, they cannot.

Debugging, integration issues, compatibility testing, random acts of the Universe – Every single one of these things holds the potential to extend the timeline from a few days to several weeks or even months. Lacking technical insight, and experience, founders may fail to anticipate these curbs, leading to unrealistic timelines and a missed deadline after a missed deadline.

Overestimating AI and No-Code Platforms

While AI and no-code platforms are great for prototyping and creating elementary applications (cheaply), they lack flexibility. Non-technical founders tend to forget that the tradeoff of cheap and fast often lies in customization and scalability.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re not hating on no-code here. These platforms provide an accessible starting point to quickly bring an idea to life – no extensive coding knowledge required. But business grows and users are needy; software products need to be customized.

**It’s easy to end up with a flashy demo, but with no way to scale. **

No-code platforms depend on pre-built templates and solutions, which means three things: restrictions, restrictions, and restrictions. When your product needs to offer unique features or adapt to specific user requirements, these limitations become glaringly apparent. Over-reliance on such tools can result in a lack of differentiation and competitiveness in the market.

Finally, there is a path that every successful software has to go through: transitioning from prototype to product, and it’s hard with no code. The unpredictability of non-experts, and little to no support for the rigorous testing and refinement needed are only some of the barriers – customizability is not the only issue here.

Solutions

• Partner with a Technical Founder: Consider finding yourself a technical co-founder, or hiring a CTO in case of the bigger team.
• Invest in Personal Technical Education: Take the time to learn the basics of software development. Online courses, workshops, and tech boot camps won’t make you an expert in a matter of weeks, but they can all provide you with a foundational understanding of the technical aspects of your business.

2. Failing to Protect Intellectual Property

Running a tech startup without a technical background often leads non-technical founders to glide over some crucial realities. From where we’re standing, we can understand that intellectual property protection for startups – protecting the source code in particular, may sometimes feel like a secondary concern. It’s comfortable to think that the outsourcing firm will just 'take care of it.'

Assuming this can be costly though, and there are little things worse than the fallout from not securing your IP properly – extensive legal battles can seriously drain your resources and smear your company’s reputation. What’s worse, in the end, you might find your own ideas used against you in the marketplace.

Solutions:

• Sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the outsourcing company to legally protect your IP.
• Conduct thorough due diligence before selecting a partner: Research the outsourcing company's reputation, legal status, and security practices.

3. The Employee Trouble

A non-technical founder is, by definition, unable to handle the technical side of the startup solo. That’s when this inherent limitation propels them towards over-reliance on external development houses or a skeleton crew of developers.

Over-Reliance on Development Houses

Trusting external development houses can feel like entrusting a stranger with your newborn in a situation when everything, but the said stranger, is on fire— it seems risky but necessary. Undoubtedly, that latter is not the case. All this sense of urgency stems from a lack of technical expertise, leading founders to believe that outsourcing is their only viable option. While development houses can be a practical option, this dependence can detach the core team from the development. The result may resemble something from a parallel universe where the company’s vision and business objectives don’t exist.

Not to mention that when the development pulse of a company is outsourced, internal teams might find themselves disengaged, slowly losing touch with the project.

Relying on Too Few Developers

Alternatively, some startups attempt to minimize costs by relying on a minimal number of developers, and the result is a new set of challenges.

First of all, it creates a single point of failure – if one or two key developers leave, it can stall the entire development process. A small team might also lack the diverse skill set necessary to handle both front-end and back-end development (let’s keep in mind that their evaluation was likely done by someone non-technical), leading to gaps in the product and overworked staff.

Solutions:

• Regular meetings and updates: This helps maintain a clear line of communication between the founders, the development team, and any external partners.
• Educate yourself, not only on the basic tech lingo.
• Use project management tools: Jira, Trello, Asana, and a digital heap of other tools can help you keep track of all project components, clearing the way for more transparency, accountability, and clear communication.
• Consult with a third-party software engineer: Every now and then, bring in an independent software engineer to review the code and the project’s progression.

Mismanaging Financial Resources

Venturing into the startup world without a tight grip on your wallet, you're in for a surprise. Common financial blunders such as losing track of your burn rate or fumbling funding strategies can quickly derail even the most promising idea.

Especially non-technical founders might lack the foresight to appropriately gauge the cost of product development, leading to overly optimistic financial planning. This dreamy outlook can manifest as reckless spending on expensive technology stacks and costly development resources that aren’t yet justified by the startup’s stage of growth – or quite the contrary – they go for less expensive ones that are lacking on the quality side (buy cheap, buy twice kind of way). The allure of fancy office spaces or high-priced talent can exacerbate this, pulling resources away from crucial areas like product development and customer acquisition.

Furthermore, non-technical founders might approach funding with an urgency that overshadows strategic financial planning. In the rush to bring tech products to market, they might accept unfavorable investment terms or partner with investors who lack alignment with the startup's long-term vision. This misalignment can lead to constrained operational flexibility and potential conflicts over the company’s direction, complicating scaling efforts and potentially stalling growth.

Stories such as the one shared by the CEO of Slidebean show a chilling outcome: startups burning through their funding only to end up with buggy software they can't afford to fix.

Solutions:

• Plan for contingencies: Set aside a financial buffer to manage unforeseen expenses or shifts in the market.
• Strict budgeting practices: Review every expense, making sure only the necessary ones get through.
• Seek expert advice and network with financially sharp.

5. Lack of a Supportive Network and Mentorship

Being a lone island can lead to more than just access to strategic partnerships, potential customers, or even talent that could be central in scaling their business.

A lack of support from a network means a lack of a broader perspective that people with more experience, advisors, and mentors can bring to the table. It’s not only about loneliness, it’s about stagnation. When you're not exposed to new ideas, feedback, or constructive criticism, your growth trajectory flattens. The echo chamber of your own ideas doesn’t challenge your assumptions or push your boundaries as a trustworthy connection would.

Solutions:

• Build your network: Attend industry meetups, conferences, and workshops. Engage on professional social platforms such as LinkedIn.
• Seek mentorship: Don’t hesitate to reach out to experienced entrepreneurs within your industry. Many are willing to share their knowledge.
• Join a startup incubator or accelerator: These organizations are designed to support startups with mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities.

6. Ignoring User Feedback and Market Fit

Plunging headfirst into the tech world without a technical background is a bold move, but we’re used to non-tech founders bringing in a wealth of enthusiasm and visionary ideas. This drive though, while crucial to set things in motion, can lead them to downplay the equally critical aspects of user feedback and market fit. Non-technical founders might focus intensely on their vision and the business side of the startup, believing firmly in the problem they aim to solve without fully appreciating how their solutions align with actual market needs.

This oversight often stems from a blend of passion for their initial idea and a justified lack of technical awareness, which can make interpreting and integrating technical user feedback challenging. For someone not versed in product development, the detailed and sometimes technical nature of user feedback might seem unnerving or overly critical, leading to it being undervalued or ignored.

The Consequences?

When founders do not sufficiently integrate user feedback into the development process, they risk channeling funds and time into features or entire products that miss the mark. A product developed in a vacuum, devoid of continual user input, risks missing the mark—resulting in features that do not resonate with or even address the users' actual needs.

**It doesn’t matter if a product is a masterpiece if there’s no market for it. **

Then, there’s also the possibility of tarnishing the company’s reputation. Customers might tolerate a product that misses some minor features, but if they feel that their fundamental concerns are ignored ad infinitum, their disappointment becomes the clearest of proofs of the company’s disregard. The message it sends? "We hear you, but frankly, your opinions just don’t align with our priorities." – Not exactly the base for customer loyalty or successful market fit.

Conclusion

The key to getting over these common hurdles is mainly in recognizing what you’re good at and playing your strengths. You bring to the table an idea, and probably a great skill set too—business sense, marketing expertise, and perhaps a keen sense of what the market needs. These are an amazing foundation for a successful startup.

But tech people are tech people, and it’s wise to acknowledge that. There’s no way around the fact that understanding the nuances of technology, from software coding to system architecture, is not something you can wing with a crash course. Realizing early that the complexity of tech development requires experienced hands could very well decide if your startup soars or stumbles.

How to find a technical co-founder? –That’s exactly what we’re dedicated to at Startino, we blend the dynamic of having both the long-term dedication of a co-founder with the precise execution of an experienced development team. This unique partnership model ensures that while you focus on business development, we take care of translating your business vision into technological reality.