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"living without any level above you to take over if you falter, or even to tell you if you're getting it wrong" It's not like a typical CEO doesn't have teams

"living without any level above you to take over if you falter, or even to tell you if you're getting it wrong" It's not like a typical CEO doesn't have teams of advisors and and a whole company, really, to rely on for expertise in whatever they're making a decision about. They also have peers, probably mentors and outside consultants/advisors too. They can read up on the problem, research it, and ask advice.. just like anyone else. Sure, they have to ultimately make the decision (if we exclude the influence of the board), but I really don't get what's so hard about making a decision. Give me a few million dollars and I'll do that all day, no problem.

mach1ne 4y ago
At least psychologically, there is a big difference between having an authority correct you versus having a number of minions each pushing their own opinion on you.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  But that's a matter of temperament, not intelligence. Some people just prefer to be given orders, others prefer to give orders. The paycheck is typically much fatter and your prestige much bigger if you're one of the latter types, but that doesn't make you any smarter.
  - ido 4y ago
    I explicitly said in my original comment way up thread that I didn’t think intelligence was the defining factor.
ido 4y ago
I honestly thought +/- the same before founding my own company! I suggest you do the same (you don’t need millions of $s) and find out.
ido 4y ago
You seem to think the “typical CEO” is running IBM or Oracle. I’ll bet the “typical CEO” is more like me - running a small business (single to double digit employees total) and paying themselves less than a senior developer would get. I have no teams of advisors and I can ask people for advice but I’m the one who will actually be impacted (possibly life changing impact) by which (often contradictory) advice i choose to take! The hard part is not “making a decision” in that sense, anyone could flip a coin and “make a decision”. It’s living with the stress of constant decision making and you and a bunch of other people having to live with the results of your decisions (which can easily end up costing you and them their jobs).

mach1ne 4y ago

At least psychologically, there is a big difference between having an authority correct you versus having a number of minions each pushing their own opinion on you.

pmoriarty 4y ago
But that's a matter of temperament, not intelligence. Some people just prefer to be given orders, others prefer to give orders. The paycheck is typically much fatter and your prestige much bigger if you're one of the latter types, but that doesn't make you any smarter.
- ido 4y ago
  I explicitly said in my original comment way up thread that I didn’t think intelligence was the defining factor.

ido 4y ago

I honestly thought +/- the same before founding my own company! I suggest you do the same (you don’t need millions of $s) and find out.

ido 4y ago

You seem to think the “typical CEO” is running IBM or Oracle. I’ll bet the “typical CEO” is more like me - running a small business (single to double digit employees total) and paying themselves less than a senior developer would get. I have no teams of advisors and I can ask people for advice but I’m the one who will actually be impacted (possibly life changing impact) by which (often contradictory) advice i choose to take! The hard part is not “making a decision” in that sense, anyone could flip a coin and “make a decision”. It’s living with the stress of constant decision making and you and a bunch of other people having to live with the results of your decisions (which can easily end up costing you and them their jobs).