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Some non-technical founders do legitimately bring value to a start-up. From a technical person's point of view, a lot of non-technical folks come asking with n

by cbhl 8y ago

Some non-technical founders do legitimately bring value to a start-up. From a technical person's point of view, a lot of non-technical folks come asking with nothing of value to offer to the relationship. No customers, no market validation, no funding/capital/money, nothing other than an idea that has been suggested by ten other non-technical co-founders. This starts pretty early in college/university, and for some folks, in high school. So much so that there are entire startup programs whose entire value proposition is to teach business skills to technical people. This isn't meant to offend you personally; it's based on many folks' personal experiences of getting burned. If you're genuinely different, then I suggest hiring someone at market rates to make your business work.

jelliclesfarm 8y ago
I am a farmer. I have field experience and my ideas come out of processes and experiments on the field..sometimes to the detriment of my bottomline if I want to test it.(and we can only do it once a year due to farming’s seasonal nature’). And yet tech people ‘borrow’ all the time from me because farmers (apparently) can’t be technical players. It’s unfair. And useless. Because without a domain expert, if code is tech, it would fail. It has happened to me at least five times and five times, I have thought to myself, ’I could have told you that would fail’ if you didn’t ‘borrow’ my seemingly ‘non technical’ idea. I have too many frustrating thoughts right now that I feel like it’s in my best interest to listen to others thoughts rather than vent. But thanks for your reply. I appreciate the perspective you provided.
- cbhl 8y ago
  I've seen other farmers become co-founders. The domain expertise was definitely an asset, but (like anyone else) they also needed to learn additional new skills involved in running a business. That definitely sounds like an unfair and frustrating experience, and I hope that you find folks who are more welcoming and accepting to work with in the future.
  - jelliclesfarm 8y ago
    Fortunately I have also had positive interactions and that balances out. It is frustrating when quotes like PG’s tweet unfairly overinflates mediocre coders to imagine that no one else brings value. The ‘leprechaun’ comment came up again today. Any skill is time and effort. Twenty years ago, I learnt C++ and I started learning Python last year. But I don’t want to be a coder. I want to be a farmer. I only want to know enough tech that is relevant to my area. I doubt if coders would roll their sleeves and drive a tractor for 5 years to understand Ag and Agtech. Why should farmers be expected to be technical? To entirely diminish and discount my 7+years of experience in a hands on field not accredited by some university is basically laughable if it weren’t tragic. Every year is a year of study in the field. It’s very deflating.
    - cbhl 8y ago
      I really think you and pg are saying the same thing? The dichotomy is between people who actually roll up their sleeves and get things done, and people who just talk and "play house". You, like many farmers, are very clearly the former. You want to avoid people who are the latter, and can generally trust your instincts on that. When pg talks about "non-technical co-founders" I don't think he is talking about you. (The way I read "Technical" doesn't just mean coding, it also includes domain expertise, like farming or being a doctor.) I think he's talking about kids fresh out of business school who genuinely have no skills or experience or connections to contribute. But pg is also known for, well, not being the greatest communicator. So if the things he says don't resonate with you, don't listen to him! There are so many other role models to choose from in the community.
      - jelliclesfarm 8y ago
        I feel like if people who are influential don’t think twice before they tweet, the words would be twisted to keep small players like me ‘in our place’. In Silicon Valley, only engineers are considered ‘technical’. Or so it seems. It’s deflating. There is this Emphasis on STEM and coding ..as though it’s a life skill but it’s actually a speciality. For some of us, our abilities veer elsewhere but we still can’t innovate without technology. But we are considered as consumers and not partners. I am expected to give away what I know for free so someone can patch it together to sell it back to me. That’s what AgTech has become...its a data play now. But we need more. We need robots. We need hardware. We need creative solutions. Farmers are accused of being backwards..but that’s not true. We just don’t get enough respect at the table.

by cbhl 8y ago

jelliclesfarm 8y ago

I am a farmer. I have field experience and my ideas come out of processes and experiments on the field..sometimes to the detriment of my bottomline if I want to test it.(and we can only do it once a year due to farming’s seasonal nature’). And yet tech people ‘borrow’ all the time from me because farmers (apparently) can’t be technical players. It’s unfair. And useless. Because without a domain expert, if code is tech, it would fail. It has happened to me at least five times and five times, I have thought to myself, ’I could have told you that would fail’ if you didn’t ‘borrow’ my seemingly ‘non technical’ idea. I have too many frustrating thoughts right now that I feel like it’s in my best interest to listen to others thoughts rather than vent. But thanks for your reply. I appreciate the perspective you provided.

cbhl 8y ago
I've seen other farmers become co-founders. The domain expertise was definitely an asset, but (like anyone else) they also needed to learn additional new skills involved in running a business. That definitely sounds like an unfair and frustrating experience, and I hope that you find folks who are more welcoming and accepting to work with in the future.
- jelliclesfarm 8y ago
  Fortunately I have also had positive interactions and that balances out. It is frustrating when quotes like PG’s tweet unfairly overinflates mediocre coders to imagine that no one else brings value. The ‘leprechaun’ comment came up again today. Any skill is time and effort. Twenty years ago, I learnt C++ and I started learning Python last year. But I don’t want to be a coder. I want to be a farmer. I only want to know enough tech that is relevant to my area. I doubt if coders would roll their sleeves and drive a tractor for 5 years to understand Ag and Agtech. Why should farmers be expected to be technical? To entirely diminish and discount my 7+years of experience in a hands on field not accredited by some university is basically laughable if it weren’t tragic. Every year is a year of study in the field. It’s very deflating.
  - cbhl 8y ago
    I really think you and pg are saying the same thing? The dichotomy is between people who actually roll up their sleeves and get things done, and people who just talk and "play house". You, like many farmers, are very clearly the former. You want to avoid people who are the latter, and can generally trust your instincts on that. When pg talks about "non-technical co-founders" I don't think he is talking about you. (The way I read "Technical" doesn't just mean coding, it also includes domain expertise, like farming or being a doctor.) I think he's talking about kids fresh out of business school who genuinely have no skills or experience or connections to contribute. But pg is also known for, well, not being the greatest communicator. So if the things he says don't resonate with you, don't listen to him! There are so many other role models to choose from in the community.
    - jelliclesfarm 8y ago
      I feel like if people who are influential don’t think twice before they tweet, the words would be twisted to keep small players like me ‘in our place’. In Silicon Valley, only engineers are considered ‘technical’. Or so it seems. It’s deflating. There is this Emphasis on STEM and coding ..as though it’s a life skill but it’s actually a speciality. For some of us, our abilities veer elsewhere but we still can’t innovate without technology. But we are considered as consumers and not partners. I am expected to give away what I know for free so someone can patch it together to sell it back to me. That’s what AgTech has become...its a data play now. But we need more. We need robots. We need hardware. We need creative solutions. Farmers are accused of being backwards..but that’s not true. We just don’t get enough respect at the table.