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Startup CEOs: Screw Your Strengths

12 points by AndyParkinson 13y ago

phreanix 13y ago
It's funny, I see so many crash courses offered on how to code, hack your way to a startup, etc., yet not a lot directed at actual startup owners/CEO's on exactly this: Now that you have a startup, what now?
- AndyParkinson 13y ago
  I really hope I can help. It's so important and rarely talked about in our community.
- xsighted 13y ago
  Well, the only ones qualified to teach such a course are probably too busy to teach it. Although, no better way to learn than to dive in head first.
  - phreanix 13y ago
    Some things like management principles, accounting, and others could be better learned in a short course instead of learning the hard way. In a struggling startup, a mistake like that could mean success or failure.
    - xsighted 13y ago
      i've done all of those, and I can tell you first hand ... learning is best by doing ... it's not comfortable .. but you figure it out .... pass the accounting to an accountant ... or theres tons of 101 courses on youtube ... management itself is learnt by doing ...
technotony 13y ago
I'm not sure I agree with this entirely, yes you have to learn some new skills but it's still important to focus on your strengths - just learn to delegate the other things. Steve Jobs is a great example of this in practice, by all accounts not so good at management but he made damn good products!
- AndyParkinson 13y ago
  What if delegation is your weakness (as it is for most of us)?
amplification 13y ago
I like the point being made here: building a product is hard. But once you've built it, you have a new mountain to climb: building a business. In our startup culture, "building the business" is usually delegated to a new CEO, brought in from the outside. I don't think it has to be that way. Managing a business is hard, but it's just a new challenge. Founders don't have to give their business to someone else to manage.
petervandijck 13y ago
"If you’re a great programmer and you love programming, do you really need to actively try focus on being a better programmer? Not really." -> Yes, I think you do. B.B. King practiced blues scales every day of his life.

12 points by AndyParkinson 13y ago

It's funny, I see so many crash courses offered on how to code, hack your way to a startup, etc., yet not a lot directed at actual startup owners/CEO's on exactly this: Now that you have a startup, what now?

AndyParkinson 13y ago
I really hope I can help. It's so important and rarely talked about in our community.
xsighted 13y ago
Well, the only ones qualified to teach such a course are probably too busy to teach it. Although, no better way to learn than to dive in head first.
- phreanix 13y ago
  Some things like management principles, accounting, and others could be better learned in a short course instead of learning the hard way. In a struggling startup, a mistake like that could mean success or failure.
  - xsighted 13y ago
    i've done all of those, and I can tell you first hand ... learning is best by doing ... it's not comfortable .. but you figure it out .... pass the accounting to an accountant ... or theres tons of 101 courses on youtube ... management itself is learnt by doing ...

technotony 13y ago

I'm not sure I agree with this entirely, yes you have to learn some new skills but it's still important to focus on your strengths - just learn to delegate the other things. Steve Jobs is a great example of this in practice, by all accounts not so good at management but he made damn good products!

AndyParkinson 13y ago
What if delegation is your weakness (as it is for most of us)?

amplification 13y ago

I like the point being made here: building a product is hard. But once you've built it, you have a new mountain to climb: building a business. In our startup culture, "building the business" is usually delegated to a new CEO, brought in from the outside. I don't think it has to be that way. Managing a business is hard, but it's just a new challenge. Founders don't have to give their business to someone else to manage.

petervandijck 13y ago

"If you’re a great programmer and you love programming, do you really need to actively try focus on being a better programmer? Not really." -> Yes, I think you do. B.B. King practiced blues scales every day of his life.