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155 points rob313 | 6 comments | | HN request time: 0.807s | source | bottom
1. goodpoint ◴[] No.41856563[source]
> Red flags to watch for > They want to work on this part-time > They want to quit their job but haven't set a date to do it > They're going to quit their job but only after the YC interview

...so this guy wants someone in SF to quit their job and work full time while unpaid? This method selects from the bottom of the pool, not from the top.

replies(3): >>41856692 #>>41856811 #>>41856851 #
2. kidintech ◴[] No.41856692[source]
Got spooked by the exact quote you mentioned, but your conclusion is more precise. You're correct, this is a recipe for messing up your chances lmao.
3. mnahkies ◴[] No.41856811[source]
Devils advocate: people in a position to work full time unpaid have probably enjoyed outsized success in their career to date
replies(1): >>41858234 #
4. jonathanstrange ◴[] No.41856851[source]
Isn't that the difference between a co-founder and an employee? I'm assuming that half of the company will belong to the new co-founder, of course.
replies(1): >>41860701 #
5. goodpoint ◴[] No.41858234[source]
...1% of the time. The other 99% are "ceo of myself"
6. fhd2 ◴[] No.41860701[source]
I say this to every non-technical founder looking for a work for equity (or effectively "for free") technical co founder: They'll meet two types of people; those that won't do it, and those that don't know yet that they shouldn't do it.

It _is_ possible to get seed funding for a business if the idea is solid and you bring something valuable to the table, like the right connections and domain knowledge. If a founder doesn't have either, that's bad. The money doesn't have to come from an investor: There's government funding, you can line up pilot customers etc. If they can't raise any seed funding, what does that say about their talent to be a CEO? The job is _all_ about bringing money in.

Asking someone to work with zero cashflow for who knows how long (investments and initial customer acquisition can take months) is just not reasonable. If somebody doesn't _need_ cashflow, chances are they're either comfortably doing nothing, or already working on their own idea.

What you're left with are mostly people who need cashflow, but are for some reason desperate or reckless enough to try and go without. So then your founding team is a naive CTO, and a CEO who can't raise money. Not a winning combination usually.