A Startup Founder’s Conundrum with Technical Leadership

There’s a concept or product idea in your head just waiting to get out — excitement and opportunity, all in line with your entrepreneurial heart. But wait, why do you need to include technology?

High Quality Tech Features

Because users are in on it. Metrics like page performance correlate to conversions.

Websites have to be able to be cool with slick native applications that will hold their own niche place. The baseline for good is must be greater, and that target keeps moving forward.

Meeting Regulatory Needs IS a Necessity

Each industry has its regulatory responsibility that carry the repercussions of monetary fines and worse:

• Old hats like HIPAA and PCI compliance are as necessary as ever.

• Website accessibility filings continue to trend upward.

• Data regulations like GDPR and CCPA have appeared, changing how information can be collected, stored, and used.

Different products will carry different legal requirements, paired with the everpresent concern of proper software licensing. its a rapidly changing business area; it's crucial to stay ahead of in order to maintain and develop trust with your customers and create a trustworthy brand.

Vendor Relationships

Is there a short-term or super-specialized need? Some tasks and roles are better left to others, especially when you’re starting out. Managing vendors is a bit easier for someone that speaks the same language, understands the core tasks, and can get a feel for the subtext of status meetings.

The Right Fit

Software’s complex. There are a bunch of technical tasks to reckon with, even at the idea stage.

It’s You for now!

You’re a technical founder for the time being 😐 Before you ride off into the sunset, you should still consider handing the reins to someone else. Are roles like operations, sales, marketing, and funding on your plate? Founders wear many hats, but technology is NOT one we recommend overlooking.

Invest in Tech

The word hire is a little reductive — bringing a leader in to help shape a product’s future is very much a partnership. This may be your first equity dilution, especially if a competitive salary isn’t in the cards for a while. There isn’t a clear playbook here. This is someone who’ll be integral to your success, (hopefully) be around for quite some time, and (ideally) bring their own entrepreneurial spirit along. More than once, I’ve heard it likened to a relationship!

If you have an existing network to tap, referrals are a wonderful place to start. Networking is next: Innovation Enablers LLC is a professional "connector". We setup local accelerators and connect founder groups who often hold events to connect like-minded people. The key members of accelerators, incubators, and venture funds may know who’s worth contacting, It’s time to be social. Contact us to setup your event!

Find a Temporary Stand-in

Grain of salt moment: This is what we do.

If a marriage-like commitment sounds daunting, the fractional CTO route may suit you. This option has options of its own, including:

• A solo consultant

• A company that consults as a service

• A company that covers consulting and offers an implementation team, too

Benefits? Only benefits! There are many many success stories that are front-and-center versus failures that could risk your entire startup capital. We have manufactured relationships, where they may have a deep bench to draw from, or/and a built-in team to do the work within the organization itself.

Leave your thoughts.