I've got a ton of Web 2.0 ideas, but I'm not a coder. How do I find a committed programmer to bring the ideas to reality?

As I'm probably the type of guy you're looking for, let me tell you who I'd be interested in partnering with.

1) Someone with a proven track record (i.e. has actually created something, start to finish)

2) Someone with some serious online marketing skills, copywriting, etc...

3) A talented designer/creative

4) Other developers

5) Someone with money ;)

The person I tend to stay the furthest away from is the "idea" guy. The typical idea guy places a lot of value on the idea and is paranoid about his idea being stolen, yet has never actually executed an idea or had one stolen. The major problem with the idea guy is that he believes all he needs to bring to the table is the idea and some business sense, but the reality is that he needs much more.

Money, a designer, a copywriter, a developer, a sales/marketing person. This might be one person or five, but that short list will at least get your Web 2.0 project off the ground. If you're not at least two of the five items on the list, you better have a lot of the first item.

I recommend reading The Four Steps to the Epiphany - http://bit.ly/NewUG

It might seem counter intuitive to the uninitiated, but talking about your idea is the best way to attract talent to you.

+1 to Ian. The fact that you say "I have a ton of detailed ideas for Web 2.0 companies" is a red flag. Forget all but 3-4 of these ideas. Do a detailed analysis and figure out one that has the best chance.

Next, forget about finding a "committed programmer" and think of it as finding an investor. The developer is going to do most of the work initially. You need to convince this person that you either have the money, the connections of the business savvy to pull it off.

You could look at jobs.stackoverflow.com perhaps, or, you can find some active groups for developers, such as a Java developers group, and see if you can meet some people, by attending, listening, and socializing.

You may want to have the idea well-fleshed out though, as, if you are excited about it, you may be able to get others excited also.

try http://odesk.com or maybe you should try to learn how to code yourself? Have you tried learning Ruby on Rails?

A few quick thoughts:

1) Ideas have minimal value without execution and validation. As such, if you are over-valuing your ideas, you're going to have a harder time finding people to join you. Be honest with yourself as to the actual "market value" of the idea at this point in time.

2) You're going to need more than a pure "coder". The kinds of people you want to be working with do more than just write code -- they develop software that makes people happy.

3) Pick just one idea that is the best of the ones you have. Otherwise, convincing others is going to be hard.

This site was made for finding co-founders:

http://www.fairsoftware.net/home

Here's an idea: Forget finding a coder. Instead write a blog post about your best idea and explain how you're the right person to see it through to success and what other skills you need to get there (it's probably more than coding). Be prepared to either pay for the work, or start looking for an investor.

Engage with people about the idea. Try to get it covered by other blogs. Either you'll find a partner or you'll find out why it wasn't that good an idea. Either way, you're ahead.

Lot of good advice above. One thing I would add though is to first start with what you are capable of doing. It doesn't take a programmer to start a web company. If you really want to get your ideas off the ground, make it official first. Register your company! Create your business plan! People will take you seriously if you show them you are serious. A coder and even investors are going to be more willing to join you if you have a company running and your ideas on paper.

EDIT: As far as protecting your ideas, this is difficult especially with web ideas. For this reason I would recommend not publicly throwing them out there. Get your plans on paper and show them to people you trust or have previously scouted to pitch the idea to.

Thank you all for the detailed responses. They are all very helpful!

I completely understand the comments regarding scaring off programmers/investors with too many 'ideas' and no execution.

To provide a little more focus, I have 3 specific ideas that I've developed in detail. The first I made a while back (www.celebcity.com/default.asp) with the help of a 3rd party website developer. This is essentially where my problems come from as I was left unimpressed with the quality as the developer was not committed to the project and was just in it for a one-time paycheck.

This experience is essentially where all of my worries come from - I felt handcuffed by my inability to code, and attempting to learn at this point doesn't seem like the most efficient route. I have a strong business background with experience in Investemnt Banking, but I'm lacking my 'better half' that can help bring the plans to life.

Long story short, I guess I'm looking for someone in the NE with a programming background that is eager to be a partner. I feel I need to assemble a team that can help round out all of the requirements mentioned above (business, programming, marketing, legal, etc.). First things first with the programmer....

So that leads me to my next question - do any of you have suggestions on where to meet quality programmers in the NE region?