If anything, I'd imagine you'd have an advantage. Silicon Valley is filled with programmers/hackers, but the really interesting people are those that come from

If anything, I'd imagine you'd have an advantage. Silicon Valley is filled with programmers/hackers, but the really interesting people are those that come from other backgrounds with different experiences. In most cases, making a successful startup is primarily a business problem, not a technical one. Seeing customers' perspectives, knowing the business you're entering, understanding the problem you're trying to solve -- these are all more important than being able to write Ruby quickly. If your experience outside programming helps you contribute to solving hard problems like these, you're infinitely more valuable than someone who knows only code.