But for single founders (like me) who don't have such a friend, what do you do? Even if you go around looking for one now, by definition your relationship won't be considered good enough until at least a few years later.
If you've been friends for a year that's probably enough. And since a successful startup is going to take at least 3-5 years (more if you're really successful), you're thus turning 3-5 years into 4-6, which is not much different.
What if you have a friend whom you've known for about 12 years, has stuck with you through some dicey times, you've worked with on a few things and trust and respect completely, is keen on the idea of a start-up and has a pretty good business sense and gets things done, But he's not passionate about technology. What would you advice?
I think there's a big difference between being passionate about technology itself and being passionate about getting a business/product off the ground using technology. The latter, along with your relationship, sounds pretty good.
YC companies are quite diverse these days and many require as much, if not more, non-tech work and understanding as deeply technical work.
> If you've been friends for a year that's probably enough
thanks. is there any reason it is not now time to add this point of data to the application. definitely a question i as well as many others have wasted thought cycles pondering. though i do like the privilege of having access to this information.
Growing and expanding your network is a good thing to do in general. Doesn't hurt to have as many friends as possible with multiple different skillsets. Growing from an idea to a business will require many different people along the way willing to help you out. So start asking around and see if anyone you know wants to setup a little weekend hacking session. Don't worry about the present too much there are always infinite possibilities in the future.
