When Code Needs a Captain
As a mentor, I often meet people with brilliant business ideas that rely heavily on software, yet they have little to no experience with coding or software development.
Naturally, the first questions that come up are:
- How hard is it to build software like this?
- How much time and money will it take?
- How do we even get started?
- And many more.
These are perfectly normal questions for non-technical founders stepping into the IT world. However, there’s no straightforward or single answer to these questions.
You might find someone who can help you here and there answering such questions, but if your idea takes off (and let’s hope it does!), it could turn into a problem.
Every new feature in your app will raise the same questions about time, cost, and effort over and over again, and every architectural decision you make now can ripple into ten more decisions later. That’s just how building software works.
That’s why it’s important to have someone who understands the history and future of your product from a tech perspective, someone who loves the process of building software and does it professionally.
This is why my first recommendation to non-technical founders is simple: find someone with strong IT expertise to join your team as a Chief Technical Officer (CTO). The right person in this position can guide you through all those tricky technical decisions, and together you will turn the idea into reality.
"Strong IT Expertise"
Today, IT is a vast field that goes far beyond programming itself. And “strong IT experience” can mean different things to different people. There are countless roles and specializations, from DevOps to data engineering, cybersecurity, and more. For instance, someone working as a data engineer may not necessarily understand the details of mobile development and vice versa.
In my view, a good CTO should be able to roll up his or her sleeves and build the first prototype themselves. And if there’s a bug right before a big pitch they should be the one who jumps in to fix it. This kind of hands - on approach is super important for early-stage startups when resources are tight.
If you’re talking to someone whose background is miles away from coding or who seems hesitant to dive into technical challenges, chances are they’re not the right fit. A CTO has to be someone who tackles challenges head-on, not someone who shies away from them.
The Balance
There's another side to this. People who love coding can sometimes get overly obsessed with experimentation and the coding process itself. They might get so caught up in trying out a new framework or library that they lose interest in the business idea - or become more obsessed with the framework than the business.
A great CTO knows how to balance between technical excellence and practicality, always keeping the bigger picture and business goals in focus.
Focus on creating value for your customers before anything else. Once you’ve got that down, then you can start thinking about how to make it better: more efficient, less expensive, faster and so on.
Ready to Level Up
Once your startup starts to grow (and let’s hope it does!), things will change fast. You and your CTO will build a team, and that’s when the CTO takes charge of leading the development process.
When companies grow, great CTOs switch gears - less coding, more leading. They focus on guiding their team, making big-picture decisions, and explaining tech in ways anyone can understand. Think of them as tech translators who can talk to both engineers and business folks.
The key is finding someone who's ready for this shift. Not every great coder wants to step away from their keyboard to manage people and explain tech to non-technical folks. Make sure your candidate is excited about - not scared of - this evolution.
The End
Building a software-driven business as a non-technical founder may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it’s absolutely achievable. Surround yourself with people who complement your skills, starting with a capable and driven CTO who shares your vision.