The technical co-founder myth

Most people think you need a technical co-founder to build a successful SaaS product, but that’s a myth.

In reality, 40% of unicorn founders are non-technical. At DevSquad, 80% of our clients are non-technical. (And they don’t need to be because they hired us to handle that.)

The real secret to building a successful startup is NOT about having technical skills.

Let’s dig into the technical co-founder myth.

If you’re a founder, then finding a technical co-founder should be really low on your priority list (if it’s a priority at all). That’s because it’s become easier and easier to build a product without being a technical expert.

It might make sense for a founder to learn a little bit about coding and take some basic online  classes, but you don't have to be a technical founder or even be technical to build a successful SaaS company anymore, especially if you're sticking to B2B SaaS. 

Technical risk doesn’t really exist anymore.

There are three big risks to consider with a new product:

1. Market Risk: Is there a demand for what you’re selling?
2. Go-to-Market Risk: Do you have a clear strategy for getting your first users?
3. Technical Risk: Can it be built?

Look, if you’re not aiming to build the next OpenAI, technical risk hardly exists anymore. It can be built. You just need to hire a skilled developers or team (like DevSquad), and that risk is practically gone.

Then, all you need to worry about is the market and go-to-market risks.

Focus on GTM and demands risks

Just this week, I spoke with a lead who had years of experience in retail and knew his product idea would serve other retail businesses well. He planned to attend a conference at the end of Q1  to get his first customers.

His focus? Market and go-to-market strategy. The product build was the least of his worries because he knew that DevSquad could handle that for him. The unfair advantage he has is that he knows what the market wants and is an industry expert.

Even in my own SaaS, I’m all about product strategy and GTM. I used to be a developer back in the day, but now I leave the coding to my team—they're way better at it than me anyway! So, I stick to what I do best: go-to-market strategy and steering the product.

Here’s the reality of modern software development…

Once upon a time, building a product involved huge technical challenges and unknowns. It was more science than engineering. There was no guarantee that the thing you wanted to build could be built. You’d try things to see if they worked, but it was still a big risk.

That’s a bit like how building AI products is now. There are still things to learn and experiment with, and there are still some big unknowns.

But building B2B SaaS products is different. It’s more like building a house. With a clear plan and a capable development team, it will get built. It’s more of an engineering project than a science experiment.

Building a B2B SaaS product isn’t a gamble anymore—almost everything has been built before. We have the tools and frameworks to build quickly. Software delivery hasn’t been a risk for years. If you’re having delivery issues, it likely means you need a new dev team. In that case, just reach out to DevSquad.

The real risk is making damn sure your product solves a real problem, has enough demand, and finding a go-to-market strategy that works.

TL;DR: You don’t need technical skills or to find a technical co-founder to start a successful B2B SaaS company. You are better off if you are an expert in your industry. Focus on the product and go-to-market strategies, and leave the tech to a solid development team.

To your rebel journey,

Phil Alves