Learning the code will allow you to better understand and communicate with your programmer. Besides, if there are minor things like registration problems or design issues, you can do it yourself as opposed to bugging the programmer who is handling the major programming parts. Can you imagine the 'business' co-founder bugging the hell out of the programmer to take ONE word out of a category title while the programmer is trying to go through hundreds of lines to fix a major bug that is much more important than a category title?
I know everyone keeps saying "Wozniak needs a Jobs" and vice versa ...but in 'Wozniak' I bet there was a little 'Jobs' and in "Jobs" there was a little 'Wozniak'. Otherwise, there would be no way in hell they would have gotten along and worked together successfully.
Your skills: Database guru, VB6 tinkerer (not a typo!), browser-to-hardware connectivity hacker, RoR lover.
One co-founder can complement the other, so you don't have to have all the skills.
My background: 10 years in ecommerce at founder/ceo level. Have developed a working app by hiring coders, and even have paying customers, but ran out of money and went back to investment banking. But the entrepreneural bug bites, and bites real bad. Meanwhile, the app continues to run and generate revenue. A month ago, I came across PG's writings and this forum, and now I am convinced that I was doing it wrong - instead of paying unmotivated coders, I should have brought on two hackers as my partners and co-founders.
Ideally, you should be based in Orange County CA where I am, so we can fully develop the core system in the next few months. We will then apply to YC's fall program, so you must be willing to move to the Bay Area.
While I am confident that YC will accept us (PG's Viaweb experience will create tremendous leverage), there are two other routes we can take - apply for Charles River's $100k-$250K program, or completely bootstrap this and not seek any outside capital.
Your equity is fully negotiable. If you are a true hacker, I need you and you need me. This Steve Jobs is seeking two Wozniaks!
Send me your background info to: me.jobs.r.u.woz at gee male dott comm.
And comparing most hackers to Woz is like trying to compare professional basketball players with Michael Jordan.
I'd say you're out by a factor of two taking into account the 'reality distortion field' ~ http://tinyurl.com/2qznlq
By the way, Steve Jobs is more of a design critic and salesman than designer. It takes different skills to do well at being a novelist vs. a book critic.
