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I think a StartUp needs management from the beginning. Maybe its because I'm a business student, but I think if there isn't someone with a perspective on strat

by mkuhn 18y ago

I think a StartUp needs management from the beginning. Maybe its because I'm a business student, but I think if there isn't someone with a perspective on strategy, finances, marketing and management in general the StartUp will fail because of lack of direction and the costs involved in changing direction later on (and I'm not saying it needs to be someone who has an MBA or something similar) You ask what someone with management experience could contribute to your company. I would suggest that someone with a business perspective can help you to get a new perspective on things which might be quite different from your technical point of view. Also, as mentioned in other comments, a manager can ease the workload and help others to focus on what they are good at.

tptacek 18y ago
It hasn't been my experience that MBA-types, with training in "strategy", finances, marketing, and management, do a better job of running companies than engineers. The history of business is replete with examples of engineers, lawyers, authors, and designers running successful businesses. Take Apple, for instance. There's also plenty of examples of "business"-types coming in and fucking everything up. Start with Ars Digita. Someone in your company needs to keep their eye on the ball. It's easy to take your eye off the ball when you're chest-deep in commit logs. But there's no reason at all that person needs to have an MBA.
- mkuhn 18y ago
  Exactly my point. That's what I tried to express with: and I'm not saying it needs to be someone who has an MBA or something similar I just think that someone needs to keep an eye on the business perspective and take responsibility for those things related to it.
albertsun 18y ago
The problem is that at the early stages, the "business" guy will likely have nothing, or at least far less than the hackers, to do.
anamax 18y ago
> a perspective on strategy, finances, marketing Why the assumption that business folk have those skills? Yes, some do, or rather, some have one of them, but the claim was stronger. How about going through them and discussing some specific instances where "business" types add extraordinary value? (Note, this comparison will require knowing what engineers know. If, for example, you say "selling equity", you must describe what you know about that that we don't.) I'm particularly suspicious wrt strategy. Why the assumption that you know the customers better than engineers? Doesn't that depend on the customers, the engineers, and the business folk? > management in general Sorry, but you don't get to argue for management by saying management. > the StartUp will fail because of lack of direction Startups fail because the folks involved stop working. What's the evidence showing that business folk usefully add direction in a way that reduces the odds of that happening? Again - the comparison involves knowing what engineers actually do.

by mkuhn 18y ago

tptacek 18y ago

It hasn't been my experience that MBA-types, with training in "strategy", finances, marketing, and management, do a better job of running companies than engineers. The history of business is replete with examples of engineers, lawyers, authors, and designers running successful businesses. Take Apple, for instance. There's also plenty of examples of "business"-types coming in and fucking everything up. Start with Ars Digita. Someone in your company needs to keep their eye on the ball. It's easy to take your eye off the ball when you're chest-deep in commit logs. But there's no reason at all that person needs to have an MBA.

mkuhn 18y ago
Exactly my point. That's what I tried to express with: and I'm not saying it needs to be someone who has an MBA or something similar I just think that someone needs to keep an eye on the business perspective and take responsibility for those things related to it.

albertsun 18y ago

The problem is that at the early stages, the "business" guy will likely have nothing, or at least far less than the hackers, to do.

anamax 18y ago

> a perspective on strategy, finances, marketing Why the assumption that business folk have those skills? Yes, some do, or rather, some have one of them, but the claim was stronger. How about going through them and discussing some specific instances where "business" types add extraordinary value? (Note, this comparison will require knowing what engineers know. If, for example, you say "selling equity", you must describe what you know about that that we don't.) I'm particularly suspicious wrt strategy. Why the assumption that you know the customers better than engineers? Doesn't that depend on the customers, the engineers, and the business folk? > management in general Sorry, but you don't get to argue for management by saying management. > the StartUp will fail because of lack of direction Startups fail because the folks involved stop working. What's the evidence showing that business folk usefully add direction in a way that reduces the odds of that happening? Again - the comparison involves knowing what engineers actually do.