sometimes truth can be found in movie quotes ( sometimes, not ) THE MATRIX Agent Brown: Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions. Ever since I started s

sometimes truth can be found in movie quotes ( sometimes, not ) THE MATRIX Agent Brown: Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions. Ever since I started starting companies I have been looking for co-founders, engineers, hackers and developers. It seems to me that the best co-founders are not the greatest coders, but they are relentless and extremely open-minded. In fact they probably will write crappy code that needs to be fixed later, but it got done and the company moved on. They don't care about code quality, they care about relationships, about milestones. They read books, and they like a variety of tasks, each requiring focus and effort. They are happy doing stuff alone, and getting people to come along. As for developers they can make a good thing, and make it better, even great. They take a vision and make it possible. They are usually shy. Engineers seem to be about the truth in process or systems, and they are one step away from idealistic scientists. Hackers are more like artists. Code, and computers are just like a paintbrush for them. They need to be inspired, and they bend the perception of what is possible. Impossible is not in their vocabulary. They are OCD and love focusing intently on one beautiful problem at a time. Maybe hackers should never be employees. Hire them as consultants. Give them their freedom. The best employees have always been developers, but they are risk adverse. Engineers should only be hired for a 20+ sized company. Hackers and cofounders are the best people to start companies with as they seek risk reward scenarios.