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This idea that there is no history of business types starting technical businesses seems so silly. It is well beyond the "blind squirrel finding a nut". A great

This idea that there is no history of business types starting technical businesses seems so silly. It is well beyond the "blind squirrel finding a nut". A great manager can assemble a great team and the world of successful companies show that. EA - Trip Hawkins was a business guy, but somehow they dominate software. eHarmony - A good sized web based business with a doc at the helm. McDonalds - Everytime you order a big mac anywhere in the world a bun, patty, slice of cheese, two pickles and a squirt of ketchup come out of inventory. All of the airlines - May not lead to great business results, but they certainly know software. And of course these from my earlier comment: Walmart FedEx Disney Bank of America For all the people who think it is impossible for non-hackers to hire a hacker, why don't you comb through the Fortune 500 and prove your point, or write a program to do so.

anamax 18y ago
> This idea that there is no history of business types starting technical businesses seems so silly. What's silly is the strawmen that are being thrown around. No one is arguing that biz types can't start/lead tech biz. The claim is that the vast majority of non-tech people can't usefully evaluate tech people in time to do any good. It's not unlike the complementary situation, technical people evaluating non-technical people. As I pointed out, if tech people can't evaluate non-tech and non-tech can evaluate tech, something interesting is going on. But, let's ask the question - do non-tech people think that tech people can evaluate non-tech people? If so, why do tech people think otherwise? If not, but non-tech can evaluate tech people, why the difference? > EA - Trip Hawkins was a business guy, but somehow they dominate software. Hawkins also always has a tech partner. The same can be said for every other company on the list.

anamax 18y ago

> This idea that there is no history of business types starting technical businesses seems so silly. What's silly is the strawmen that are being thrown around. No one is arguing that biz types can't start/lead tech biz. The claim is that the vast majority of non-tech people can't usefully evaluate tech people in time to do any good. It's not unlike the complementary situation, technical people evaluating non-technical people. As I pointed out, if tech people can't evaluate non-tech and non-tech can evaluate tech, something interesting is going on. But, let's ask the question - do non-tech people think that tech people can evaluate non-tech people? If so, why do tech people think otherwise? If not, but non-tech can evaluate tech people, why the difference? > EA - Trip Hawkins was a business guy, but somehow they dominate software. Hawkins also always has a tech partner. The same can be said for every other company on the list.