If you're not in college and you don't know a cofounder, the next best thing I think is to go work at an interesting company.
You need unstoppable people. You want people that are just going to get it done.
Keep salaries low and equity high. Keep the organization as flat as you can.
Stay focused and don't try to do too many things at once. Care about execution quality.
Starting a business is like riding a wave between life and death. If you can hang on long enough, you're bound to succeed
The way you get deals done and the way you get good terms, is to have a competitive situation.