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"How would you explain to someone why a web company needs a good technical lead (preferably co-founder) and can't just go "hire someone to write the site" ? "

"How would you explain to someone why a web company needs a good technical lead (preferably co-founder) and can't just go "hire someone to write the site" ? " Why bother (explaining to them)? If they think they can get by without a tech co founder, let them try. They may even be right (for their company) who knows? Wish them well and get on with life. Such things can't be "explained" to people who are convinced they are right. Let them run their company and one of you will learn something depending on how it turns out.

pmjordan 16y ago
This seems almost malicious. Do you have some kind of agenda against non-technical people? Sure, it's their decision and their problem in the end, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least explain your point of view if the opportunity arises. In fact, you might know potential techy cofounders to recommend. Or you can suggest good people to hire if they decide to bring on a non-founding technical team despite the risks. I suspect a good employee is much better than a bad cofounder. The point is, you can tell the difference, your friends with a business-only background probably can't. Obviously, if they're just being dicks, don't waste your time (and don't let them hire your friends). But that's good advice in general, regardless of background.
- philwelch 16y ago
  "This seems almost malicious." A lot of people confuse "live and let live" with maliciousness. Arguing about disagreements is pointless when it's something you can test, like whether you can succeed without a technical cofounder. Letting people learn from their own experiences rather than just giving them your opinions saves you time and teaches the other person a lot more.
  - pmjordan 16y ago
    The original post is about '... a long conversation [he/she] had with a group of "founders"', and I assumed this thread was framed in the same context. I'm not talking about imposing your views on random acquaintances. Hiring a string of crappy developers to develop your core product is a pretty expensive route to learning it the hard way.
    - philwelch 16y ago
      It's also a lot more convincing than having someone with no vested interest in your project tell you you're doing it wrong.
      - pmjordan 16y ago
        Sure, giving and receiving advice is always tricky, maintaining an open mind while filtering out the crap is difficult. This is always worth bearing in mind as the giver. Honestly, I think we're picturing totally different conversations and circumstances.
- mattm 16y ago
  "A person convinced against their will is still of the same opinion still"

pmjordan 16y ago

This seems almost malicious. Do you have some kind of agenda against non-technical people? Sure, it's their decision and their problem in the end, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least explain your point of view if the opportunity arises. In fact, you might know potential techy cofounders to recommend. Or you can suggest good people to hire if they decide to bring on a non-founding technical team despite the risks. I suspect a good employee is much better than a bad cofounder. The point is, you can tell the difference, your friends with a business-only background probably can't. Obviously, if they're just being dicks, don't waste your time (and don't let them hire your friends). But that's good advice in general, regardless of background.

philwelch 16y ago
"This seems almost malicious." A lot of people confuse "live and let live" with maliciousness. Arguing about disagreements is pointless when it's something you can test, like whether you can succeed without a technical cofounder. Letting people learn from their own experiences rather than just giving them your opinions saves you time and teaches the other person a lot more.
- pmjordan 16y ago
  The original post is about '... a long conversation [he/she] had with a group of "founders"', and I assumed this thread was framed in the same context. I'm not talking about imposing your views on random acquaintances. Hiring a string of crappy developers to develop your core product is a pretty expensive route to learning it the hard way.
  - philwelch 16y ago
    It's also a lot more convincing than having someone with no vested interest in your project tell you you're doing it wrong.
    - pmjordan 16y ago
      Sure, giving and receiving advice is always tricky, maintaining an open mind while filtering out the crap is difficult. This is always worth bearing in mind as the giver. Honestly, I think we're picturing totally different conversations and circumstances.
mattm 16y ago
"A person convinced against their will is still of the same opinion still"