3 ms·

Maybe? A founders job is basically “execute the path to capitalize on the opportunity”. So you have to figure out the opportunity, and execute towards it by wha

Maybe? A founders job is basically “execute the path to capitalize on the opportunity”. So you have to figure out the opportunity, and execute towards it by whatever means necessary - that’s a lot of jobs and hats. As long as there’s a human required to make a business possible, founders will exist. Get rid of software engineering, marketing, fundraising, identifying the opportunity, sales, customer support, etc then maybe all the founder does is make sure the machine keeps running. But at that point every other human job is automated too. Founders are weird because their job is just to “do everything that needs to be done” so the role flows like water into any spot that isn’t already filled in a company. Replacing that seems like by definition you have to replace almost everyone else first.

sarchertech 4y ago
> But at that point every other human job is automated too. I’ve heard that exact same argument for software engineers. As an outside observer it sounds like you’ve switched from SE to founder, so you’re failing to apply the same standards because you (consciously or not) want to defend your current position.
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  > I’ve heard that exact same argument for software engineers. Do you think it failed to hold?
- eldritch_4ier 4y ago
  How do they apply to software engineers exactly? The founder “job” is literally “do anything that needs doing in the business”. Now the job of a CEO or CTO is much more narrowly defined and I can see that seeing automation sooner, but the founder role is kinda unique in that it’s just “do everything and if you’re successful you should be constantly replacing your job with an employee”. Founders are the jobs trying their hardest to replace themselves (with hires and go can do the work better) and yet still always find more to do. That’s very unique
  - sarchertech 4y ago
    >That’s very unique That's not even close to unique. Software engineers have been doing that since they existed. >but the founder role is kinda unique in that it’s just “do everything and if you’re successful you should be constantly replacing your job with an employee”. That's maybe the ideal of a founder, it's definitely part of the mythology, but it wasn't true for the majority of the many founders I worked with back when I was consulting for early stage startups. Based on my experience with a large sample size, the job of a founder is to convince VCs to give them money. >How do they apply to software engineers exactly? It's one of the definitions of the singularity. When AI can write itself, it will improve so rapidly that humans won't be able to keep up.
  - ilyt 4y ago
    > Founders are the jobs trying their hardest to replace themselves (with hires and go can do the work better) and yet still always find more to do. That’s very unique Not really. They are not "replacing self", the coordination is always needed, just hire the people to the point coordinating the company is their only job. I.e. finding peasants to do their dirty work and they can just rule over them.

sarchertech 4y ago

> But at that point every other human job is automated too. I’ve heard that exact same argument for software engineers. As an outside observer it sounds like you’ve switched from SE to founder, so you’re failing to apply the same standards because you (consciously or not) want to defend your current position.

marcosdumay 4y ago
> I’ve heard that exact same argument for software engineers. Do you think it failed to hold?
eldritch_4ier 4y ago
How do they apply to software engineers exactly? The founder “job” is literally “do anything that needs doing in the business”. Now the job of a CEO or CTO is much more narrowly defined and I can see that seeing automation sooner, but the founder role is kinda unique in that it’s just “do everything and if you’re successful you should be constantly replacing your job with an employee”. Founders are the jobs trying their hardest to replace themselves (with hires and go can do the work better) and yet still always find more to do. That’s very unique
- sarchertech 4y ago
  >That’s very unique That's not even close to unique. Software engineers have been doing that since they existed. >but the founder role is kinda unique in that it’s just “do everything and if you’re successful you should be constantly replacing your job with an employee”. That's maybe the ideal of a founder, it's definitely part of the mythology, but it wasn't true for the majority of the many founders I worked with back when I was consulting for early stage startups. Based on my experience with a large sample size, the job of a founder is to convince VCs to give them money. >How do they apply to software engineers exactly? It's one of the definitions of the singularity. When AI can write itself, it will improve so rapidly that humans won't be able to keep up.
- ilyt 4y ago
  > Founders are the jobs trying their hardest to replace themselves (with hires and go can do the work better) and yet still always find more to do. That’s very unique Not really. They are not "replacing self", the coordination is always needed, just hire the people to the point coordinating the company is their only job. I.e. finding peasants to do their dirty work and they can just rule over them.