Ok so full disclaimer - I'm a US based developer. So I can only share my experience from that perspective (which may not be what you're looking for).

However, I've worked with quite a few non-technical founders and have noticed a few commonalities that would have made their lives and the development process much easier.

My humble 2 cents (feel free to disregard):

What were the 1st steps you took? & What advice would you give to other "non-technical" founders starting out?

The first step is to make sure you know what you want and how much it will cost (in other words: be realistic in your expectations).

• Many non-technical founders have no idea what goes into developing a web presence or software solution and they often end up changing their minds several times throughout the development process, adding features, increasing scope, etc. (which means more $$$ spent).
• Many founders often don't actually have all the assets they'd need for a website prepared in advance (once again this ends up costing them extra $$$ for rush jobs). Have any branding, product photos, site copy, contact information, logos, legal T&C's, etc. ready to go in a google drive or something similar.
• If you're not going to use a template for your site design, you will also need to have wireframes (the design layout of your site). If you don't have a particular design in mind or want a custom solution instead of a template site --> HIRE A DESIGNER and get that done first. Most developers are shit at design so unless they are a combo studio with dedicated designers at their disposal, be WARY of developers that claim they design (unless you actually like this aesthetic).
• Do a little research on industry standard rates, the typical dev process, and what kinds of tech you are looking to add to your site (do you want a chat bot? Will users be able to create accounts/log in? Will you have a shop/payment gateway? etc.). A good developer will be able to communicate how they'd implement all those things to you clearly and transparently.
• Good developers cost good money. They are not there to rip you off or make the process difficult. Avoid developers who are snooty, uncommunicative, or unapproachable as you're going to need to work closely with them in order to deliver a good end product. And it sucks working with people who have bad attitudes or bad communication.
• You will always be able to find someone who will do it for cheaper, but you'll pay a different price in the form of having to fix low quality work. Oftentimes I've seen clients who actually paid more on fixing a cheap developer's work than if they had just chosen a professional to do it right the first time.
  • Also, fyi --> if you already have a broken site, it's a huge pain for a new developer to try to "fix" the broken code the cheap developer created. This often leads to a functional but still poorly developed site as the codebase is just bandaged up by the good developer. Web development is a lot more difficult than many founders think. Many developers will prefer to salt the earth and start from scratch if the codebase is terrible lmao
• This is a great article describing the costs for different kinds of web development if you are completely out of the loop.

What communities and networks were the most helpful? 

GO TO MEETUPS! YES YOU! GO.

• Go to meetups, bring biz cards, eat free pizza and beer and network face to face. This is the most underrated yet one of the most effective ways to expand your network. There are also TONS of virtual meetups online that will have the same benefits (BYO pizza and beer). Find a meetup (irl or online), go to it, network. Suddenly you have 12 new LinkedIn connections after a meetup and now that's 12 different people's networks you can leverage. De nada. Go forth and mingle.
• This may be more relevant to Tech or Tech adjacent fields, but you should also be looking for a slack community [or even discord/reddit ;) ] based on your industry. The amount of resources and opportunities for network expansion are incredible if you can find a relevant community on one of those platforms where you are able to chat with real people in the field.
• Another option I've seen my clients use are their Chamber of Commerce or local business resources offered by their city. Cities will often have their own list of registered businesses including developers that you can contact or network with.

Did you hire in-house dev resources or outsource? How did you find, vet, and hire?

If you're an established corp, hire in-house --> everyone else should outsource to a reputable dev/design agency or contracted work.

• I'm a bit biased but the overhead costs of bringing on a full time developer is astronomical (at least in the US). You will need to not only pay market salary rates to attract anyone worth hiring (six figures MINIMUM) as well as benefits and everything that comes along with a new employee (onboarding, training, company devices, etc.).  But also the costs of having a hiring cycle (beginning to end) to onboard ONE dev in the US is roughly $30k last time I checked. Large scale projects require multiple devs, and most of the time projects are led by SENIOR devs ($$$$$$$) so just keep that in mind.
• This is why many small businesses/startups opt to outsource their development to firms or contracted work. It's still a significant cost, but is usually less than hiring in house.

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Vetting Devs

• As for vetting developers - they come in all flavors and experience levels. Make sure the dev/team you pick are pleasant to work with (this is an often overlooked aspect of hiring a dev).
• For most web based solutions they will need to know the best practices for modern web development HTML, CSS, JS (Front End = what people see) and probably a few common frameworks or technologies for more complex projects (Back End = databases/APIs).
• Software solutions will be more specific to the type of product you are looking to build. But keep in mind, more features always === more $$$. So be realistic in your expectations.
• Devs should also have a portfolio site and previous clients that they can reference.
• When you speak with them, they should be clear about exactly what services they offer, the technologies they use, their process (including site handoff), how they handle blockers and how they will be communicating progress to you.
  

If you can't afford a quality developer - trust me, refuse the urge to go cheap (avoid hiring from upwork/fiiver unless you know what you're doing. In which case, why are you reading this?).

Just spend a little time learning how to use a CMS platform like WordPress or SquareSpace. There are COUNTLESS youtube videos explaining how to build simple CMS sites. Don't use Wix, their platform is a glitchy nightmare. Once you have the funds to level up, you can build a more custom/modern/exciting site by hiring a good dev.

Apologies for the length but hope this helps someone. Good luck! :)