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Sometimes I wonder how non-technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. It elevates cofounder risk to a single point of failure for the entire co

Sometimes I wonder how non-technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. It elevates cofounder risk to a single point of failure for the entire company. Seeing through "developer bullshitting" is a dark art that is hard to master without spending a bit of time as a developer.

austenallred 12y ago
Indeed. As a former non-technical founder (now semi-technical), the worst part of the fear of failure is that your "job" is keeping companies alive. If your company dies, not only is your company a failure, but your only "skill set" is called into question. Knowing that fact and simultaneously being unable to contribute directly to the product, wondering how hard you can push your technical co-founder/team (or how far is right?) is enough to drive one insane. It was easier (and more beneficial) for me to learn how to program. I'm not the most technical one on the team, but at least I can pitch in and work instead of wonder.
- trevmckendrick 12y ago
  A thousand times this. The worse case scenario is much, much worse for non-technical cofounders. They often don't have a deep, specialized skill that is easily used by other companies.
  - dennisgorelik 12y ago
    Sales is a skill that is in a high demand by many companies.
- digita88 12y ago
  Similar position, I see start-up memorandums by full or mostly tech founders in which their common concern has been around building the wrong product or not knowing the customer. Yet being a 'non tech founder' or even 'semi tech founder' raises red flags.
balls187 12y ago
> Seeing through "developer bullshitting" is a dark art that is hard to master without spending a bit of time as a developer. Or figure out how to get a technical co-founder you trust. Developer Bullshit is a people problem, and if you have that problem, no amount of dark-art mastery will help your company survive.
7Figures2Commas 12y ago
Sometimes I wonder how technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. After all, the number of technical founders who can effectively sell is small, so most of them have a single point of failure too, just on the other side of the business. The harsh truth is that lot of non-technical founders set themselves up for failure precisely because they're limited to the pool of developers who will consider a co-founder relationship. If you're a solid developer with a proven track record of shipping, there's very little incentive to join a venture run by somebody you don't know very well for less than market pay, and in some cases little to no pay. You typically get what you pay for, which is why more entrepreneurs should skip the technical co-founder nonsense and hire an experienced contractor or shop with a solid portfolio and references. If you don't have the money to do this, it's worth rethinking whether you're in a position to start a business in the first place.
- aagha 12y ago
  Fantastic. I think technical founders think they're set, only to realize building something is only part of the equation. Marketing, selling, customer support, customer happiness/retention are all skills necessary skills to make a business successful.
rcaught 12y ago
> Sometimes I wonder how non-technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. It elevates cofounder risk to a single point of failure for the entire company. This is not exclusive to non-technical founders. > Seeing through "developer bullshitting" is a dark art that is hard to master without spending a bit of time as a developer. Within a group of people striving for the same success, the idea of "bullshit" is often coined by those not wanting to take the time to understand the perspective of others. There is a communication and priority disconnect in most companies between the technical and non-technical; with both sides to blame.
mbesto 12y ago
When you start learning the difference between "poor" and "broke" the stress usually goes away. For anyone that doesn't understand - being poor means you have nothing, being broke means you are still accumulate wealth, it just means you don't have cash, but more intelligence. I suspect Nikki has banked loads of intellectual wealth from her journey.
- Domenic_S 12y ago
  Broke is a circumstance. Poor is a state of mind/being.

austenallred 12y ago

Indeed. As a former non-technical founder (now semi-technical), the worst part of the fear of failure is that your "job" is keeping companies alive. If your company dies, not only is your company a failure, but your only "skill set" is called into question. Knowing that fact and simultaneously being unable to contribute directly to the product, wondering how hard you can push your technical co-founder/team (or how far is right?) is enough to drive one insane. It was easier (and more beneficial) for me to learn how to program. I'm not the most technical one on the team, but at least I can pitch in and work instead of wonder.

trevmckendrick 12y ago
A thousand times this. The worse case scenario is much, much worse for non-technical cofounders. They often don't have a deep, specialized skill that is easily used by other companies.
- dennisgorelik 12y ago
  Sales is a skill that is in a high demand by many companies.
digita88 12y ago
Similar position, I see start-up memorandums by full or mostly tech founders in which their common concern has been around building the wrong product or not knowing the customer. Yet being a 'non tech founder' or even 'semi tech founder' raises red flags.

balls187 12y ago

> Seeing through "developer bullshitting" is a dark art that is hard to master without spending a bit of time as a developer. Or figure out how to get a technical co-founder you trust. Developer Bullshit is a people problem, and if you have that problem, no amount of dark-art mastery will help your company survive.

7Figures2Commas 12y ago

Sometimes I wonder how technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. After all, the number of technical founders who can effectively sell is small, so most of them have a single point of failure too, just on the other side of the business. The harsh truth is that lot of non-technical founders set themselves up for failure precisely because they're limited to the pool of developers who will consider a co-founder relationship. If you're a solid developer with a proven track record of shipping, there's very little incentive to join a venture run by somebody you don't know very well for less than market pay, and in some cases little to no pay. You typically get what you pay for, which is why more entrepreneurs should skip the technical co-founder nonsense and hire an experienced contractor or shop with a solid portfolio and references. If you don't have the money to do this, it's worth rethinking whether you're in a position to start a business in the first place.

aagha 12y ago
Fantastic. I think technical founders think they're set, only to realize building something is only part of the equation. Marketing, selling, customer support, customer happiness/retention are all skills necessary skills to make a business successful.

rcaught 12y ago

> Sometimes I wonder how non-technical founders can sleep at night with all the stress. It elevates cofounder risk to a single point of failure for the entire company. This is not exclusive to non-technical founders. > Seeing through "developer bullshitting" is a dark art that is hard to master without spending a bit of time as a developer. Within a group of people striving for the same success, the idea of "bullshit" is often coined by those not wanting to take the time to understand the perspective of others. There is a communication and priority disconnect in most companies between the technical and non-technical; with both sides to blame.

mbesto 12y ago

When you start learning the difference between "poor" and "broke" the stress usually goes away. For anyone that doesn't understand - being poor means you have nothing, being broke means you are still accumulate wealth, it just means you don't have cash, but more intelligence. I suspect Nikki has banked loads of intellectual wealth from her journey.

Domenic_S 12y ago
Broke is a circumstance. Poor is a state of mind/being.