So,

Starting a company turns out the be the easy part. I’ve been doing now for more than a year. Starting it is easy, really. It’s so fun and inspiring and you get to be so creative.

Everyone starts their company doing what they are already good at, like design, or programming. For me it was genetic testing. But, after a year or so you
1) run out of money
2) realize that you need to know how to do about a gazillion other things, including sales, marketing and financial modeling.

Now most people who have the hutzpah to start a company have the brains and willpower to figure out how to do these other things too. But, almost no one has the raw time or energy to learn how to do all of them fast enough to make the company succeed.

So, you either get lucky, and your company makes/sells something so hot and fantastic that doesn’t need much outside help to kick-start it. Or your background was in sales and marketing and you find some innocent dude with an idea and you help that person grow, taking half the company for yourself.

Otherwise, YOU are the innocent dude, trying to learn how to sell your product, and trying not to get taken by the cruising sales guy. Which means, you hire somebody (stock, cash, whatever) who is going to help you sell the product. You hire the help you need, you hire the expert…and that is a tough process.