I'm probably asking for trouble with this question, since intellectually I think I know some of your answers, but most business decisions are made emotionally and that's where I am with this one.
I have put together a plan for a start-up. The key to success will be sales (and, to a lesser extent, marketing), but it needs a technical,web-based back end. Nothing that hasn't been done before; indeed, I imagine an experienced hacker could probably create the back end from various open source elements that are around. So there's little technical challenge, in a not-too-sexy B2B space.
Am I better off sitting on this idea, stagnating it, while I try to find the right technical co-founder? Or pay the ~$10,000 I've been quoted to build the first iteration, knowing that if it's successful I could employ (or otherwise structure and energise) that technical person to re-create (or revise, but I imagine they'd rather start again) the base code in an improved way, at some future point, possibly to time with a product or market expansion?
Edit: I appreciate me 'imagining' what an experienced hacker can or can't do may be akin to a blind man imagining colour; but that's also been the feedback from outsourcing companies I've met with.
I did freelance consulting for years, and will undoubtedly do it again, because it's fun to see a small slice of many different companies. And it's not just startups who need custom software—many small businesses need it as well, and they rarely give up big chunks of equity to hire a CTO.
Two major factors will affect how well outsourcing works for most people:
1) The quality of your programmer. It's an old cliché that the productivity of programmers varies by a factor of 10. You also need to take into account how good their code is, whether they write unit tests, what languages and platforms they use, and whether they're reliable business partners. If you're using open source tools, there's a shortcut to finding somebody good: Track down the project maintainers, and see if any of them run consulting businesses.
2) How well you understand your business. Some business people have a good grasp of what they need, and it's very easy for a good programmer to help them succeed. But my least favorite clients were always the ones who didn't understand their markets, who had dysfunctional committees, or who otherwise made it impossible for a programmer to earn them money.
If you have $10K to spend and a good grasp of what you need, you absolutely can succeed by hiring a good hacker. (Assuming, of course, what you need is genuinely in the $10K range.) On the other hand, I've seen small businesses spend the better part of $1 million on a simple database application and still crash and burn.
And finally, ask yourself what happens if don't quite achieve product / market fit, and you end up needing to pivot twice before you get traction. Nobody's going to lose too much sleep over a lousy code base if your business is successful. But can you afford two more iterations at $10K a pop?
FWIW, these are exactly the kind of statements that would raise red flags for me as a developer. They practically scream, "I will undervalue your work." If these statements are true, you don't need a technical cofounder, you just need to do some homework to see how many of the pieces you can put in place yourself. If that's too hard, be prepared to admit that the task will be a technical challenge.
I think you make an excellent point - those were the same red flags that caused me to add the edit when I re-read my post earlier.
FWIW I am open to being proved wrong, and I think you've nailed the main issue that arises between 'businessmen' and 'technical' founders ... lack of awareness of the other side. It's clear which camp I'm in!
The sad part about that fact is that lack of awareness affects the business man far more than it affects the developer. They end up shooting themselves in the foot time and time again while they filter themselves out of the pool of prospective clients for the good developers.
No disrespect intended to you, but the onus is on you to understand why developers are so important (if you start thinking of them as your product, the picture becomes clearer) because the good developers don't have the time or the need to help you see the fallacy in your perception of roles.
As for your question, I would have it developed if you don't have a good lead on a tech co-founder. technical personnel get approached with "build my idea" all the time. When they do, they hear "hey do all the work and I'll take half". Which while not entirely a correct position to hold, one has to understand that a good deal of developers have their own ideas, if they are going to work for free they are going to do it on their interest and without cutting someone else in on the deal.
Having invested in a product, no matter the quality of the code, and getting the business off the ground will "put your money where your mouth is" with a technical partner. They will see that you are serious about your idea and that you are willing to put in what is needed to succeed.
If the code is sub par they will still see that you have a very good working prototype that has a lot of learning's rolled up into it. It gives them a head start on writing the next version that incorporated the learning of the "prototype".
You're better off getting it built now if that's an option and if you can afford the consequences if things go badly. I imagine a successful idea won't be as hard to attract a co-founder to work on as your idea in its current state.
If what you're building will depend less on technology and it's not a complicated idea it seems reasonable to outsource it.
This is an interview with a non technical single founder who outsourced a v1, did serious business development, raised capital and then leveraged all this to attract co founders. It might help you decide.
I have a friend who went the "pay $10,000" route, became successful, and are now employing a bunch of people, and decided to accept some venture money to continue to scale up operations.
I would suggest that depends on how much you value that 10k. If you are willing to spend it on a "demo" that may or may not actually be useful for anything then go for it. If it represents most of your savings there are lower risk approaches that are probably a better option.
If you pay the $10k then you've got to realise that's just the start.
Once you iterate a few times, pivot and do marketing you could easily spend another $50k to try recoup your sunk costs and even then the chances are high that you will still fail.
I have put together a plan for a start-up. The key to success will be sales (and, to a lesser extent, marketing), but it needs a technical,web-based back end. Nothing that hasn't been done before; indeed, I imagine an experienced hacker could probably create the back end from various open source elements that are around. So there's little technical challenge, in a not-too-sexy B2B space.
Am I better off sitting on this idea, stagnating it, while I try to find the right technical co-founder? Or pay the ~$10,000 I've been quoted to build the first iteration, knowing that if it's successful I could employ (or otherwise structure and energise) that technical person to re-create (or revise, but I imagine they'd rather start again) the base code in an improved way, at some future point, possibly to time with a product or market expansion?
Edit: I appreciate me 'imagining' what an experienced hacker can or can't do may be akin to a blind man imagining colour; but that's also been the feedback from outsourcing companies I've met with.