By Tian DuBelko
Today, more and more entrepreneurs are aspiring to go into the tech business. Whether it be a social sharing platform, a mobile app, or a cloud-based service, more and more businesses are rooted in tech. However, that doesn’t mean everyone has a tech background as a coder or programmer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build a tech-based business.
Even if nobody on your founding team has any tech experience and there are doubts from venture capitalists (and perhaps yourselves), it’s possible to be a successful founding team. Just like the small-business owners who weren’t afraid to head on challenges, it’s that go-getter spirit that will propel you toward realizing your startup dream.
For those aspiring founders out there, here are some tips to starting a tech company without a tech background:
Make sure there’s a market
It’s easy to overthink the uncertain parts of your tech startup when it’s still a concept. Before you go build a website or write a program, you need to reach out to your target audience and find out where your business opportunity lies. All the thinking about bringing your idea to life will be for nothing if there’s no market need for your idea.
In the early stages, continuous feedback is crucial to helping you develop and shape your idea into a unique one that has room for growth. Essentially, you want to make sure there’s a proof of concept for your idea before making the leap into the tech world.
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Don’t limit your target audience
There are endless applications for technology. Even if you have a solid background in the tech field, it’s difficult to predict how technologies will continue to evolve. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the technology you work with can only cater to one user group. Innovations happen in unpredicted ways, so your initial idea may grow in ways you never saw coming.
Never box your idea into a corner and limit your opportunities for expansion and growth. Always be on the lookout for ways to improve efficiencies, improve user experience, and provide more value to not only your customers, but investors too.
Educate yourself (in tech and business)
Once you’ve established a viable idea, it’s time to think about building a team. While you can make up for your lack of technical expertise by hiring the appropriate talent, it’s still good to have a solid understanding of what’s happening during the development process. Having a good business plan will certainly help you attract top tech talent.
Being a founder is busy work, but if you can, get some books on the basics of software engineering and learn about the process. It’s helpful to learn the lingo of the industry, and you should check out apps and websites that are remotely similar to your project. Take note of what elements work to improve the experience, and which ones are less effective.
Outsource the tech (in the beginning)
Ask any founder, tech founders included, about the startup process, and they’ll tell you that it happens in phases. When you start out, it’s unlikely your technology infrastructure will be managed in-house. Whether it’s network architects or software developers, it can be a cost-effective measure to outsource this part of the process while you get your startup established.
You should look to invest in your own tech infrastructure soon, however. The sooner you invest in your own tech pros, the sooner you can set the standards for future upgrades and improvements. Sometimes, it can be difficult to get quick customer feedback when dealing with a third-party service provider. Being too slow at updating your technology can break your tech startup, so invest in bringing your own expert techies onboard quickly.
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Ready to Make the Leap?
Choosing the right shared office space can jumpstart your tech business and accelerate your company’s growth. In the right ecosystem, you’ll have an easier time hiring top talent, networking with industry and legal professionals, and even securing the next round of funding.
Think your Seattle tech company might be a good fit for extraSlice’s community of trendsetters and innovators? Then book a tour of our tech campus or visit our website to learn more about The Place for Tech!
