Surely your smart developers and well-connected sales guys differ in more ways than merely “connections” — in particular, the sales guy, being on the front line

Surely your smart developers and well-connected sales guys differ in more ways than merely “connections” — in particular, the sales guy, being on the front lines of “what people want”, is surely better-positioned to understand the market he operates in and the problems its participants face, compared with your average smart developer?