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Another silly generalization of developers and business people (here called sales men). Maybe the drawn stereotype matches many folks out there but this view is

by tferris 14y ago

Another silly generalization of developers and business people (here called sales men). Maybe the drawn stereotype matches many folks out there but this view is aged and not valid anymore. Both the pure biz guy will die soon in the woods without any technical mindset and the dev will die soon when just waiting and hacking at the campfire. And together they won't be stronger. The picture the OP draws is from the past or taken from large corporations. Successful entrepreneurs are both sales and technical. Non-technical people are considered illiterate nowadays and won't achieve anything as people who can not hunt. Best proof is Instagram founder Kevin Systrom. And that's what is so great about Hacker News—here you find the highest density of tech founders both business-driven and technical. So, if anybody still wants to talk in stereotypes then distinguish between hunters and non-hunters and not between tech and non-tech.

swombat 14y ago
Worth pointing out that I didn't mean to imply that these skills have to be in separate people. A single person can be a developer, a salesperson, a manager, and a plethora of other things that are required to build a successful business. Most new entrepreneurs will not be competent in all those areas, but experienced ones will, I agree, have at least a baseline level of competence in all the key places (which includes sales and making things). That said, it feels like you might be the one generalising... I know some successful and talented entrepreneurs of both kinds. Some are generalists who do everything. Some specialise in what they're good at and partner up with others who make up for their gaps. In my own business (which I consider successful), I myself am clearly more on the build/delivery side while my cofounder is clearly more on the sales side. I can do sales (not very well), and she can write grant applications, but if we were to swap roles the business would die. So, both types of people can build successful businesses.
dean 14y ago
"Best proof is Instagram founder Kevin Systrom." Ouch. I hope we're not going to start saying that the extent of Instagram's success was planned and inevitable due to the great founders. Let's be honest, it's a great app, but they won the lottery. It's not every day a super-rich guy decides he needs your app, and is willing to stunningly overpay for it. (I'm sure Instagram would have jumped at $50 million if it was ever offered.) I don't know Kevin Systrom. I'm sure he is as you say, a great 'sales and technical' entrepreneur. But Instagram's success in terms of their sales price is not reproducible. It's random. Like the lottery.
- glanch 14y ago
  You sure about that? Dude built an app that did photo sharing better than anyone else. Of course FB had to get their hands on it. That wasn't _just_ luck. That took vision, determination, execution.. and yes, _some_ luck.

by tferris 14y ago

swombat 14y ago

Worth pointing out that I didn't mean to imply that these skills have to be in separate people. A single person can be a developer, a salesperson, a manager, and a plethora of other things that are required to build a successful business. Most new entrepreneurs will not be competent in all those areas, but experienced ones will, I agree, have at least a baseline level of competence in all the key places (which includes sales and making things). That said, it feels like you might be the one generalising... I know some successful and talented entrepreneurs of both kinds. Some are generalists who do everything. Some specialise in what they're good at and partner up with others who make up for their gaps. In my own business (which I consider successful), I myself am clearly more on the build/delivery side while my cofounder is clearly more on the sales side. I can do sales (not very well), and she can write grant applications, but if we were to swap roles the business would die. So, both types of people can build successful businesses.

dean 14y ago

"Best proof is Instagram founder Kevin Systrom." Ouch. I hope we're not going to start saying that the extent of Instagram's success was planned and inevitable due to the great founders. Let's be honest, it's a great app, but they won the lottery. It's not every day a super-rich guy decides he needs your app, and is willing to stunningly overpay for it. (I'm sure Instagram would have jumped at $50 million if it was ever offered.) I don't know Kevin Systrom. I'm sure he is as you say, a great 'sales and technical' entrepreneur. But Instagram's success in terms of their sales price is not reproducible. It's random. Like the lottery.

glanch 14y ago
You sure about that? Dude built an app that did photo sharing better than anyone else. Of course FB had to get their hands on it. That wasn't _just_ luck. That took vision, determination, execution.. and yes, _some_ luck.