I have substantially less exposure to this space than you seem to, but even when trying to start projects with friends, this holds true. So often, I get pitched by pals who think the idea is what they've done, and at that point, it's up to me to "code up." What I would love to hear is, "I've been talking with these three businesses already, and they seem interested." or even, "I'm really worried about the sales and marketing side of things, so that's the problem I'm going to focus on."
Nobody's ever come even close to that. It takes zero coding to have those things already started, and yet nobody even goes down that path before looking for a "code monkey."
This is very common issue with software engineering in general but I'd say particularly with game development, the answer I've found to be the best is what converted me when I was getting started with game dev ("I have a great idea, I just need a team to build it"):
Why do you think we got learnt game dev/programming ourselves? Probably because we too had an idea we wanted to make a reality, so why would we put that on hold to make someone else's idea without some other incentive?
>> Nobody's ever come even close to that. It takes zero coding to have those things already started, and yet nobody even goes down that path before looking for a "code monkey."
In a sense you are lucky in a situation like this -- that have self-selected themselves out w/o any effort from you. Technologists dont need anyone with that little motivation sharing equity. Better to know that at the start.
How do you even find these people? I somehow managed to surround myself with highly technical individuals who are only interested climbing a corporate ladder, not any kind of serious entrepreneurship.
"Business co-founders" are usually finding me (not the other way around.) They are approaching me on linked in cold, or on linked in referred thru someone, or at Meetups (pre-pandemic) or thru community organizations.
Nobody's ever come even close to that. It takes zero coding to have those things already started, and yet nobody even goes down that path before looking for a "code monkey."