When Maya left her engineering role to build an AI tool, she believed the product’s value would speak for itself.
It didn’t.
That’s something I’ve seen time and again. As technical founders, we tend to focus so much on building the thing that we delay thinking about how it reaches people, and who helps make that happen.
At OrbiQ, we’ve worked closely with founders who’ve been in that exact spot. Our recent guide, The Technical Founder’s Guide to Finding a Business Co-Founder, offers a more structured way to approach what can feel like an uncertain search.
Maya’s turning point wasn’t just meeting someone smart. It was:
- Taking inventory of what she could do well, and what she couldn’t
- Partnering with someone who brought a different lens, not just a different skillset
- Creating clarity early: roles, expectations, even conflict simulations
It wasn’t flashy, but it worked, because it was intentional.
If you’re a technical founder, I’d encourage you not to wait until things “break” before thinking about a co-founder. The right time isn’t later. It’s when you’re serious about turning a product into a company.
Takeaway:
The best co-founders don’t just fill gaps, they challenge how you see the problem.
