I think the "us against them" or "makers first" mentality is a big problem if you're trying to build a successful company for the long term. I've seen several

I think the "us against them" or "makers first" mentality is a big problem if you're trying to build a successful company for the long term. I've seen several tech companies who try to compensate for the distrust between engineering and "business people" (why we've lumped a very diverse number of professional practices into one bucket is a discussion for another time) by making engineering a first class citizen, and business people second class citizens, either explicitly or (more frequently) implicitly. Here's a blog post I wrote on the subject: http://www.daniellemorrill.com/2010/09/startup-marketing-2nd-class-citizen-2nd-rate-results/ http://www.daniellemorrill.com/2010/09/startup-marketing-2nd... For those who would rather not click - the bottom line is that when you make business a 2nd class citizen, you get 2nd class business results. Startups are hacking on more than just product, they're hacking on business model too and that's where sales/marketing/bd/customer service and operations can bring something to the table. So be on one team, or don't bother.