Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am an unemployed Software Engineer, located in a suburb northwest of Boston Mass.  I have no ability to persuade people or sell anything, and relatively little background in business, but when it comes to software, I have over 20 years of experience, and have done a wide enough variety of things that I can probably pick up anything I need to learn.  I have over 11 years of Java, more than that of Unix/Linux.  I also can be a tech lead, in the sense of figuring out how to divide up work between members of a team, and how to use skills in the team that I don't have.

One of my specialities is to take a hand-wave idea for software and make it clear and then make it real.

When I join a group outside of work, I always fit best as a leader's right hand person - webmaster, scribe/recording secretary etc.  I am never the one nominally in charge, but always someone who makes sure stuff gets done.

I figure where I would fit best in startupnation is to partner with someone who has a good idea, and maybe who has a clue how to get it funded, but who wants some help in making it real so the investors get their investment back and then some.  I might also work out well as one of the first few employees that get hired.

Would anyone have suggestions about how I might go about finding such a person before the company is mature enough to post openings?

Mary-Anne

You could try becoming a freelance software developer at SkillsFinder.com, in situation like yours many are turning to freelance work.

It's completely free

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Skills Finder™ - Flexible Outsourcing for SME, SOHO & Start-up Businesses to outsource their projects, find and hire freelance professionals

Thanks for the suggestion.

Being a freelancer requires a level of selling oneself that I am simply not good at.

If I were, I'd be a consultant by now.

Mary-Anne

If you can't sell yourself you're sunk!!!

You've pretty much sold yourself here in your post. Don't you realize that?

If you can work without pay until the product starts to make money then you should be able to find a partner.

If you want employment and a percentage that's a bit harder to find, but not impossible.

But, you still have to sell yourself to your partner and your partner will need to do the same with you.

I can do what living on unemployment allows me to do.  I can live on being paid less than market rate in return for equity after that.  My difficulty is - if I happen to already know someone, then starting the communication is easy, but if I don't know someone, how do I find them?

Mary-Anne -

Your situation sounds interesting and may be right for an entrepreneur I know who is getting ready to build a site and start an internet business. If you could contact me at scorpiorising275[at]hotmail.com, we could talk more specifically.

Hi Maryanne,

Please send me your references, portfolio, and CV.  We may be an excellent match.  Send to fairllc {at} gmail.com.

Incidentally, I used to feel the same way as you do about selling but have gotten over it.

Thanks

 

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Very interesting turn of events.  Glad of the positive result.  I do encounter people who say they can't sell themselves but sometimes, all you need to do is to say what you can and cannot do.

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Kate

MedifastHealth.org