True - but if you're running into a bunch of early-stage companies, why not try to join one instead of dealing with the headache of founding one? You'll probably be able to command a decent equity percentage, and influence the product or service in a myriad of different ways. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
>Because I'm not pursuing a specific idea I'm very flexible and it's hurting my chances. I have a chicken and an egg problem between figuring out the business & finding the right people to help me with it. The advice I read online suggests focusing on the people first (since the biz idea changes a lot) but I'm not super sure about it.
There's the crux of the issue. Figure out what you want, and hopefully in doing so you'll quickly discover what you need. If you don't know what you want to build, how can people help you?
Try narrowing it down to maybe 2 or 3 different ideas, and testing the waters. Example: "I want to develop product/service ABC, and to do so I need a person with a ______ background; but if I want to develop product/service XYZ, I need a different sort of person, someone with a _________ background"
Focus on the people, yes, but also focus on what you want to build and the people will fall into place as you'll know what you want out of every person you meet.
