How do you develop a startup without personally having the skillset to launch/execute it?

Wanna know a secret? YOU DONT!!!! Here is how it works:

1. You get the skills you need to do it yourself. The skills are very valuable to have. I dont write much code, other than for fun these days, but since i can communicate on that level with my devs there is a level of respect. Constantly learn. As a web startup you better learn a lot real quick, including a few scripting languages, design, business development, accounting, networking, etc. There is never enough you could know.

2. You have the capital to hire Rock Stars to get things going.

It seems your problem is that you have an idea, but no cash, little motivation skills, and no skills to get the job done yourself. In that scenario you are asking your employees to code something for you, probably for less pay than they could earn elesewehre, or for a lottery ticket of an opportunity. Chances are, like most "idea only" people that you have someone given yourself the most equity in the scenario?

The reason I am being so much of an ass is that you and others need to understand that an idea does not mean much. Ask Xerox how much their UI idea was worth until Gates and Jobs each ripped it off. Unless you have the balls, ability to be a leader and motivate, capital and skills, then your idea is not worth much.

Everytime someone rips off your idea and angel gets its wings. It would benefit you to do the following: 1. Save some cash, learn a little, and hire cheap labor developers with your own money. or 2. Learn years of development and build out your own ideas.

The fact is, unless if you have the capital, skills, teams, and personality to make your idea a real product, its best kept as an idea and not a stroke session for others you try to involve into it!

Draw out a map on how the website should be, let your developers do the job. Stay away from it, but just monitor the end product from time to time.

Turn yourself (idea guy) and the finance guy to a sales/marketing guy. Market your website from social network, blogs, or outbound. You need traction.

Launch fast, don't try to always perfect the website. Get traction as soon as possible. I seriously don't think you need a finance guy at this point.

The hardest part about writing code isn't writing the code. The hard part is being willing to sit down for 8 hours and actually do it.

Some tips on a small budget:

1) Since you can't afford to pay them, buy lunch instead. Talk often about how much money you're all going to make.

2) If tasks aren't getting done, hold meetings about the task at hand with the express purpose of getting the team to actually WORK during the meeting. You'd be amazed how much you can get done in a 2 hour "meeting".

3) Help your programmers by breaking the tasks into small chunks. If you can make requests that they can do in a single sitting, say from 6PM to 9PM in a single day, and have something that actually works at the end, you'll get better results.

What is their impression of 'too slow'? Do they agree with you but feel there is nothing they can do about it. You may have to adjust the scope of the website.

If you want to handle developers, give the developers a chance to succeed.

1. They have to have the right skill-set and ability level.
2. Have the right tools: computers, softare, test environments, fast connections.
3. Don't interupt them when they are coding. New idea, question to check their progress, etc. leave them alone. Make sure they let you know when is their coding time so you know when it is appropriate to discuss things.
4. Have them give estimates. They won't be perfect, but you need this habit for the future.
5. Keep track of how well they estimate. Eventually, you will have users/customers that will want to know when new features coming out and how long will it take you to fix bugs.
6. Prioritize requirments. Everyone should be aware of what is important.
7. Offer to help with testing. Get your hands dirty.

Do they really believe in this product? Are you beyond the idea stage and have some proof that there is an interest?

Thanks for the responses. So from what I understand right now is that when it comes to my developers, I need for them to have a NEED to do this. Without a NEED ($, or really being driven by the idea itself) they have no motivation to commit themselves fully.

The impression of 'too slow' is that we have created a partial foundation, but the developers are lolly-gagging when it really comes to being committed souls. Which means they either don't see that idea going anywhere, don't have the time, or aren't motivated. At this point I need to find individuals who are in 'love' with the idea, who are willing to go above and beyond, or are willing to do it for X dollars (possibly outsourcing then pay someone to manage it).

As of now I am learning the ins and outs of the technology, so I can communicate effectively. I just need to get it up and running b/c then I am confident that my developers will see the value behind the opportunity.

One thing I have been doing is attending networking events. This has been increasingly helpful and I plan to make it a large part of the business, with the connections I have gathered.

Please feel free to share any other thoughts, ideas, words of the wise that you may have.