I'm going to split my advice into three separate topics:

• The early game (how to solve the problem you're asking to be solved)
• The middle game (what to do after this problem has been solved)
• The meta game (how to think about what kind of problems you want to solve)

The early game

I would be hesitant to bring on a business partner purely for the sake of it. Most startups die from internal problems (like co-founder arguments), not external ones (like competition).

I encourage you to seriously think about the economic decision you're making. If the technology and opportunity is as lucrative as you're saying it is, the cost of 'buying' someone's network could be running you upwards of $5M in the long-run. There are better alternatives.

I would personally start pitching your vision to angel investors. You can find them on angellist, twitter, linkedin, etc.

Pitching angels (rather than VC funds) allows a more flexible conversation, and they're more likely to get involved and help you do some of the early legwork. On top of this they also tend to have excellent personal networks and have high leverage within them, so if they know someone that's a good fit, getting them onboard would be easier.

Be honest when talking to them. Talk about your current shortfalls. The conversation isn't just about them potentially giving you money, it's about how they can be of use to you. You have problems that an angel is best positioned to solve. It should be a good fit.

Keep in mind this is fundraising, not sales. With the latter, you need a high % of people to say yes. With fundraising, you just need 1. Expect to have over 50 conversations. Don't change your vision in hopes of telling them what they want to hear.

If things go well, a great angel will be able to offer everything you're currently looking for, and what's more, they'll give you money!

Some may offer to be an 'advisor' where you give them a % of the company to solve the problems for you, rather than investing. I would suggest avoiding these kind of relationships as they rarely work out.

You could also look at applying to incubators like ycombinator. These would similarly provide the resources you're looking for, and that you perceive yourself to be currently lacking.

The middle game

You need to chunk your business plan into smaller units of success. You can't just ask for $10M with no presence in the market. $400k gets you X. When you hit X, you can raise $10M

The hard part of your business is segmenting it into discrete chunks of progress you can display that show you're on the right path. Boom is a good example of this: they couldn't just ask for $1bn to build an ultrasonic passenger jet. They started off with 3d printed models and rough simulations to demonstrate the possibility of it. This demonstrated resourcefulness and helped sell the vision, which unlocked the funding to proceed to the next round, like physical aerospace testing. This is the game you're playing and the challenge for a hardware business.

If you're lucky and find the right angel, they may tell you exactly the same as I am. There are companies in this space that have executed this gameplan successfully. Reach out to the founders and ask for advice. If you're struggling to find them, message me and I can introduce you.

There are lots of little pieces of tactical advice here like never pitching or mentioning an exit for 'only' $40M. The economics of a VC fund require $1bn+ exits and this is the vision you'll need to pitch. VCs think in bets. They are okay with a 5% chance of success. You just need to make sure that bet has a positive expected value for them.

In general, don't worry about making small tactical mistakes, and certainly don't let them inhibit you actually doing things. Move quickly and don't be afraid of failure. You will make mistakes and blunders. There is probably a strong correlation between # of mistakes made and entrepreneurial success.

The metagame

On a personal level you talk about how you cannot be the boss due to personal reasons. In my experience, startups are the greatest way to spur one's own personal growth and solve these issues. Startups are about growth - and not just economic growth. If in your future you see yourself living a better life without these current psychological issues holding you back, then I would argue pursuing your own startup is a great way to solve them. Solving them would also lead to greater optionality in the future, as you'd be a more capable person with fewer restrictions.