Building in Public as a Non-Technical Founder
An unconventional startup story: I built a web app without a technical background.
You read that right. I left my job (and security net) to start my SaaS company in the LegalTech space without much knowledge or experience in tech whatsoever. My nights and weekends were spent behind my computer, looking for others doing the same as I was — building. I tweeted and shared every little milestone I hit online.
I was transparent because that’s who I am and it was what I knew. The term building in public is hot right now, but back then I called it “bootstrapping and looking for other builders like me.” Building a startup is lonely and I was just looking for people in the same position so we could build in public together. And hey, it worked for me. This startup story has a happy ending. After 6 years of being a transparent CEO and leader, my company was acquired.
Here’s how to build a company in public as a non-tech founder.
First, let’s get on the same page about what it means to “build in public.” It’s exactly what it sounds like. Entrepreneurs who are building in public openly share what you might think as private information online for anyone to see. One of the biggest companies doing this today is Buffer, the social media scheduling platform. Buffer releases employee salaries, code on Github, and even has a public product roadmap on Trello.
The opposite of building in public is stealth, which means keeping the nitty-gritty details of your startup a secret. The stealth approach seems like the way to go. Why would you ever share your secrets with strangers on the internet?
Founders often go public because starting a business the other way can get lonely. But the sense of community isn’t the only reason you’ll see companies and entrepreneurs tweeting and posting the inside scoop. Generating buzz, social media hype, and getting user feedback and recruiting are all massive benefits you receive from being an open startup (according to Amanda Goetz, startup founder and marketing executive).
But building in public isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. When you start making promises online, the spotlight is on you and your audience will hold you accountable. Remember that feature you talked about releasing a few months ago? Well, where is it? And when you’re a first-time founder just searching for answers to those not-so-common-sense startup questions, people get rude (but that doesn’t mean you can’t hit them back with a witty response).
If you’re a non-technical founder, going the public route is even more beneficial. It’s easy to assume that everyone who started a successful tech company comes from a background in software engineering or coding. But the truth of the matter is, that’s not always the case. Tim Westergren of Pandora Radio, Brian Chesky of Airbnb, and so many other builders developed amazing products without the technical experience.
You don’t even have to have a tech team behind you in the early stages. I was in the same boat when starting NextChapter. Over the years, I’ve been open about the entire process, and that’s led to so many first-time founders contacting me through DMs, email, mentoring calls, and tweet replies asking for advice on how the heck I did it. So let’s jump in.
Building a tech product without tech experience
If there’s a problem in tech you’re interested in solving, start where your customers are: mobile or web. Once that’s decided and you have your business model in mind, it’s time to get creating. Since I have experience in building a web application, I’ll be using it as an example throughout.
1. Start with the pain points
Get out there and talk to potential customers to identify the BIGGEST pain points. Make a list of everything you want to solve and then cut it down by half and again, and again, until you have the bare bones of what you can launch with. That will become your MVP (minimum viable product)
Of course, you want to use GPT-3, AI, and all of the buzzwords in the tech industry but it’s important to first break it down into chunks for a product roadmap on a kanban board using Trello or Notion. But before you work with developers or start building, YOU need to understand what you will be building.
2. Market your product
This might surprise you, but don’t go straight to building your MVP. Find out if there is a need for your product by first addressing the market component of the product-market-fit. Why start building if you don’t know if you’ll gain any traction?
Create a landing page, even if you feel like it’s too early. Use Typeform to collect information from customers. This is simple and easy and will help you sort out the product-market fit.
3. Build it
Once the early signups start pouring in, get building! When you’re non-technical, there are a few different ways you can start:
- No-code tools: It’s 2020. You can build without code using apps like Bubble, Adalo, Glide, Webflow, Makerpad, and V/One. KP, a no-code maker, and community builder created this No Code Cheatsheet to help you navigate these different tools.
- Hire developers: If you have it in your budget to hire talent, post a job on Upwork with the skills you require, and invite candidates to your job post. Hold video interviews and don’t be afraid to get creative with your ask. A lot of startup devs are open, and even excited, about half cash, half equity, or other interesting arrangements. Meaning they’ll work partly for a stake in your company, saving you some money.
- Both — learn a little, hire a little: Sometimes it’s helpful to have a basic understand of tech before hiring so you know what to look for and how to communicate to devs. I used Treehouse to learn the basics and after made mockups and an MVP app. From there, I hired talent to help me clean it up and build for scale.
- Find a co-founder: If you’re looking for a partner, join a startup network like Bunch of Founders, Co-Founders Lab, or Startup Club on Clubhouse. Get creative by posting on AngelList, the Y Combinator whoishiring board, or search for “cofounder” apps on ProductHunt.
4. Make your product roadmap public
- As your building, put your product details out in front of your audience. A great way to do this is by publishing your roadmap for everyone to see on Notion or Trello. One of my favorite examples is this one from Gumroad.
Building in public is a way to meet with other founders but still, being a founder can be lonely and can make you feel defeated. Falling into dips along the way is just part of the process. Ask for help, share your experience online. You’ll never know who or what opportunities you’ll come across.
A Note on Angel Investing in Public
This year, I started angel investing and decided early on that I wanted to be transparent about it like I always have been as a founder. I am Angel Investing in Public. The thing I’m noticing though is that the investing community isn’t as supportive and welcoming as the founder community. In fact, the day I wrote my first check in a womxn-owned startup, I saw a tweet going around, putting down angels for writing small checks. I immediately questioned my check size and my worth. I had imposter syndrome all over again. Just like those early-stage startup days, I felt isolated. I knew what I wanted to put into overlooked founders based on my own personal decisions for allocations but the conversation around angels only grew more satirical. I reached out to a few other VCs and angels I trust and found out my first $50K investment was quite sizeable and they reassured me to continue talking out about my investment plans and the founders I’m working with, regardless of check size. I discovered that while there are people writing small checks ($1,000+) and you know what, those checks are needed too.
Now, about eight months after my first check, I’ve done three more investments and I’m putting my money where my mouth is and being transparent. Mostly because I remember those pitches and the way I felt when I walked out of that venture capitalist’s office with no idea what to make of it. I don’t ever want a founder to feel like that after a meeting with me. I want them to leave with clarity and confidence for what they should do next.
I became an angel investor to provide support and listen to the founders doing the work, and most importantly, for an opportunity to be a part of their journey. I’m committed to giving honest feedback and being candid about my contribution or lack of.
I will continue to invest in public, share my findings, and be transparent about who I am and what I’m investing in. I encourage other angels and funds to share your portfolio’s details by adding it to your website or by simply creating a public notion page to break it down. The more transparent we can be in the industry, the better it will be for both new investors and founders alike.
Be a lighthouse for like-minded people and get out of the dark.
