1. Technical Co-founder
Dear engineers, you are doing
a great job but there is more to do.
by Piotr Wilam @piotrwilam

2. Dave McClure says
to start a startup
you need:
HIPSTER
HUSTLER
product guy & HACKER
sales guy
software guy
@piotrwilam

3. Dave McClure says
to start a startup
you need:
HIPSTER
HUSTLER
product guy & HACKER
sales guy
software guy
What is this
guy role?
@piotrwilam

4. The software guy has two goals:
ˈsɒf(t)wɛː gʌɪ
• to make the product work
as specified by the product guy
• to help define the best product
@piotrwilam

5. The first point is a must. If the software
guy cannot deliver the product, there is
something wrong.
@piotrwilam

6. How the software guy helps
to define the best product:
The insights of software guy may help with
optimisation of
production costs
design
functionality
product
architecture
alternative way to
build the product
…to a different
product
long-term vision
of the product
@piotrwilam

7. The technical co-founder
A technical co-founder is a software guy in a
startup team who makes the product work and
helps the product guy to make the specification
Roles: Delivery and help
@piotrwilam

8. Spectrum of business participation
for the technical co-founder
product UX and functionality
product architecture
an alternative way to build the
product and eventually a different
product due to the technology used
long-term vision of the product
production costs
all team issues
all business issues
understanding:
the customer and
their problems
product design and
product management
the business model
of the company
financing and
business
assumptions
@piotrwilam

9. If the software guy helps in all of them,
there is full participation of the technical
co-founder in the business.
In such a case, there is full partnership.
@piotrwilam

10. A threefold appeal to
software engineers in Central
and Eastern Europe.
1. Participate in startups.
2. Become technical co-founders.
3. Become technical co-founders who not
only deliver products, but also embrace
the whole spectrum of duties in the
above list.
@piotrwilam

11. In my opinion, the future of the region
depends on software engineers.
Let’s have hundreds of first-class technical co-founders
over here.
@piotrwilam