I think it totally depends on the business, and the core problems that need to be solved for the business to win. Some businesses require only technical genius

I think it totally depends on the business, and the core problems that need to be solved for the business to win. Some businesses require only technical genius. Some really just need an innovative UI. Some need dealmakers. A lot of builders attack problems whose core problems aren't technical... Which often leads to failure. Either way, in the earliest stages, specialization is oftentimes a really bad thing. If you can't sell your product to co-founders, employees, partners, and customers, then you might be too specialized to be a successful entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs (whether they are builders or not) get shit done. PG did sales. When he was starting up, he aggressively recruited great team members. Great entrepreneurs don't silo themselves... They stack rank the most important problems they should tackle (whether they are building-related or not) and then they try to destroy 'em with whatever means necessary. So, in short: Make sure your teams' skills match the core issues of the product you're attacking, but know that every team member is going to have to get out of their comfort zone and attack stuff that needs attacking.