This next idea, being respectful of people’s time, might seem a little obvious, but it’s necessary and can be one of those elements that gets lost in the desire to find your tech person as fast a you can. Be respectful.

Once you’ve found a person you think you might just want to work with, it’s time to figure out if you can really work together. There are a lot of approaches to doing this and in addition to an interview (or interviews), we advocate for a “try before you buy” approach.

Getting to know people and building a relationship goes beyond talking about your idea. Get to know them for who they are outside of their work life and you might just find your co-founder.

It’s going to be difficult to convince someone to latch on to your idea if it’s only an idea. If you can show that it has legs, that there is value in your idea, people (and not only potential co-founders and employees, but customers, investors, and partners) will be able to understand it better and be more willing to put some of their own skin in the game.

While what you’re working on may be super secret, if you can’t talk about it at some level, it will be hard to generate any interest in what you’re building — from customers, potential co-founders, employees, partners, and investors.

As we chat with new startup founders and budding entrepreneurs, especially those who do not have technical backgrounds, we find them looking for a quick fix when looking for a co-founder.