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> Within a few months, we had a team of four. Development seemed slow and our live site was littered with bugs. Our team didn’t seem driven; they all finished w

by mattm 13y ago

> Within a few months, we had a team of four. Development seemed slow and our live site was littered with bugs. Our team didn’t seem driven; they all finished work each day at 5:30. I remember watching “The Social Network” and admiring the passion and intelligence of the group of young engineers. My team didn’t look like that. I think the real lesson is she hired the wrong team. In all fairness, it's a tough thing to do seeing as she had no technical background to evaluate them. Finishing work at 5:30 is a good thing but slow development and a site "littered with bugs" is something that shouldn't happen, especially with such a small team.

Bahamut 13y ago
It may very well be that she hired the wrong developers. However, it doesn't look like she's respectful of developers either.
watwut 13y ago
I do not think she is able to recognize slow development from fast one. However, "littered with bugs" is a red flag for both team and the process (whoever sets it).
pan69 13y ago
This is a great example of misaligned expectations. She seems to think that developers are just as passionate about her startup idea as she is, be they aren't, even though they might say it. For these developers is just another job. By simply paying people and giving then a "task" to perform you don't create an intrinsic involvement. This is why you need a technical co-founder. By the way, the "posse.com" that's up there now is already a pivot from the original idea which was something with bands and music etc, can't remember.
IsaacL 13y ago
I agree with you, and I don't think you deserve the downvotes. (Especially as people shouldn't downvote you just because they disagree). She sounds like a competent founder but one who started out with almost no knowledge of managing developers. No-one is born knowing how to manage developers and it does sound like she is learning. I think she expressed herself ineloquently in this article, which makes her sound like a bit of a slave-driver, but I think it's misleading to draw that conclusion. I can empathise with devs who find themselves stuck on projects with clueless managers, but I can also empathise with passionate product founders who see their vision and savings wasted on crappy contract developers. Hard to say which situation this is.

by mattm 13y ago

Bahamut 13y ago

It may very well be that she hired the wrong developers. However, it doesn't look like she's respectful of developers either.

watwut 13y ago

I do not think she is able to recognize slow development from fast one. However, "littered with bugs" is a red flag for both team and the process (whoever sets it).

pan69 13y ago

This is a great example of misaligned expectations. She seems to think that developers are just as passionate about her startup idea as she is, be they aren't, even though they might say it. For these developers is just another job. By simply paying people and giving then a "task" to perform you don't create an intrinsic involvement. This is why you need a technical co-founder. By the way, the "posse.com" that's up there now is already a pivot from the original idea which was something with bands and music etc, can't remember.

IsaacL 13y ago

I agree with you, and I don't think you deserve the downvotes. (Especially as people shouldn't downvote you just because they disagree). She sounds like a competent founder but one who started out with almost no knowledge of managing developers. No-one is born knowing how to manage developers and it does sound like she is learning. I think she expressed herself ineloquently in this article, which makes her sound like a bit of a slave-driver, but I think it's misleading to draw that conclusion. I can empathise with devs who find themselves stuck on projects with clueless managers, but I can also empathise with passionate product founders who see their vision and savings wasted on crappy contract developers. Hard to say which situation this is.