Where can I find developers willing to join my startup?

Developers willing to join startups are very in-demand - but don't give up - it's not impossible to find one if you make a plan and execute on it.

Decide on your value added

• What would make a developer want to join your startup over the many other options available to them?
• Decide your core benefit and the most exciting technologies around your startup idea.
• Then get good at pitching that idea in a quick and exciting way.

Learn some developing skills & follow trends

• Go to codecademy.com, RailsTutorial.org, etc. to learn basic coding (html/css) & get a knowledge of uses of each language and how they generally work.
• Decide what skills/languages you're looking for in a developer.
• Follow upcoming trends and tech news - this will be a tool for talking with developers and also knowing what to look for. Hacker News and TechCrunch are a start.
• Get to a level where you can communicate about different languages and upcoming trends with a developer.

Network in developer circles

• Use online tools to find co-founders like founderdating.com, founder2be.com, cofounderslab.com, etc. which can work as a good first step.

• On top of this, you need to explore as many outlets as possible to make sure you have options and don't settle for anyone short of an all star.
• If possible, go to events where mainly developers would attend - follow events on eventbrite.com, and meetup.com in your area. Some example meetups in my area are: Boston PHP, Boston Mobile App Developers, etc. (Search "app developer" or other interests for events/groups in your area).
• If you have a smaller opportunity for networking events, then you can search for and identify specific developers in your area (via linkedin, twitter, blogs, etc.) and reach out to them and hear about what they're doing.

Note: Make sure you don't talk too much when you meet people - instead decide on a few key questions to ask developers you meet that will give you an idea of their interests so you can modify your pitch accordingly.

Follow up with the interesting people you meet

• Even if the people you meet are not developers looking to join a startup, follow up with the interesting people you meet and get some coffee. It costs no more than $5 and an hour of your time.
• Learn from their experiences (with questions such as "why did you decide to join the startup you're at now?" and "what were some of the greatest challenges you faced when starting up and how did you overcome them?").
• Not only can you learn from other people's mistakes and successes, but developers know other developers. If you show a genuine interest in people, then chances are much greater that they will refer their friends to you than if you just meet once and say you need a developer.

Be selective

• It may be tempting after so much work to hire the first developer open to joining your startup, but really think about if they are an A player who can take your idea to the level you want
• If someone is not an all star, you may hire them as an early employee, but be very selective of your partners.
• Do a trial period if this applies - 3 months to see if your's is the right workplace for them. (This is not only for you to see, but for them as well).