Startups and dilemma of being a techie co-founder

Startups today are synonymous with technology companies. It is generally and mainly like a technology or a technology solution that solves a problem due to its sheer potential to address challenges of individuals, organizations, ecosystems, and, in short, societies at large and even beyond. Therefore, most startups can be categorized as digital natives. Quite often, we miss this point.

Mobility, improvement in penetration of mobile phones, high-quality internet bandwidth along with its falling cost (data services), accessibility of data services, and the favorable global demography, urbanization has added to the frenzy of the startup revolution. Humanity is more focused on solving its problems than ever before.

Technology is a means to an end. The existence of a problem, its identification, and validation are the crux of ideation rather than working backward using technology that can potentially solve a problem or instead create a problem that a particular technology can solve. The taxonomy of ideation begins with problem identification and sheer passion to solve it.

The idea of entrepreneurship and young minds embracing it early in age is anepidemic. Technical skills (or even understanding) position you far ahead of those who don’t have them. The ability to code is becoming a norm, but we must not fail to understand that expert development & entrepreneurship are 2 mutually exclusive skills. Problem-solving skills, empathy, appreciation of a problem, and a passion for solving it are a different league and probably the most essential attribute that is often missed; hence, startups that seemingly are promising don’t go too far. A fantastic-looking UI/UX application doesn’t mean it can scale to touch a billion+ lives.

Some specialized technology companies have adopted agile methodologies to help startups roll out minimum viable products to validate problem statements and potential solutions before founders can scale up. Failing lean and failing fast is a new standard and acceptable. Founders must have a Genuity of problem-solving and an innovative mindset to succeed. Many success stories exist around internet billionaires cropping out of thin air, like Airbnb, whose founder was not a techie. Techies are not born; they’re acquired skills. Remember that your experience and expertise, and not your coding abilities, will make you successful.