Comments on: How technical does a web start-up founder have to be? http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/ My name is Chris Yeh. I'm a Harvard MBA, and you can ask me anything! Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:01:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Cristian Graziano http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-527 Cristian Graziano Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:19:15 +0000 http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-527 I agree with Stan. Maybe I'm a perfectionist, but I think there is a sense of "it must be full-featured and perfect" before a technical business owner wants to get anything out there. While this is great, you still need sales. I think technical business owners often have trouble just building the core product, getting sales, then improving it later. A strong networker and people-person could do really well as with a web start-up because he/she is putting emphasis on solving a business problem and looking for clients. Not being involved in the programming just frees up that much more time that can be spent growing the business. I agree with Stan. Maybe I’m a perfectionist, but I think there is a sense of “it must be full-featured and perfect” before a technical business owner wants to get anything out there. While this is great, you still need sales. I think technical business owners often have trouble just building the core product, getting sales, then improving it later.

A strong networker and people-person could do really well as with a web start-up because he/she is putting emphasis on solving a business problem and looking for clients. Not being involved in the programming just frees up that much more time that can be spent growing the business.

]]> By: Domain, Business or Tech-Specific knowledge - Which Trumps? | CloudAve http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-461 Domain, Business or Tech-Specific knowledge - Which Trumps? | CloudAve Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:01:06 +0000 http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-461 [...] - how much domain knowledge is necessary for a board member? It's an issue that cam up in a recent post which specifically looked at technical knowledge for web start-up founders. The answers from that [...] […] - how much domain knowledge is necessary for a board member? It’s an issue that cam up in a recent post which specifically looked at technical knowledge for web start-up founders. The answers from that […]

]]> By: Ryan Graves http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-452 Ryan Graves Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:08:35 +0000 http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-452 Chris- Thanks so much for answering my question...it definitely helps a ton. I'm in the process of trying to figure out the right way to "do this" and having your insights is very helpful! I'll keep you posted on the progress... Currently, I just launched a social web consulting business to raise money to fund the product. I launched 3 weeks ago and have 2 clients... step 1, check. Hope to have more soon. Cheers. Chris- Thanks so much for answering my question…it definitely helps a ton. I’m in the process of trying to figure out the right way to “do this” and having your insights is very helpful!

I’ll keep you posted on the progress…

Currently, I just launched a social web consulting business to raise money to fund the product. I launched 3 weeks ago and have 2 clients… step 1, check.

Hope to have more soon. Cheers.

]]> By: Stan James http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-451 Stan James Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:33:11 +0000 http://www.asktheharvardmba.com/2008/11/16/how-technical-does-a-web-start-up-founder-have-to-be/#comment-451 As someone who is a technical founder, I can say that there are real advantages to *not* being a hacker. The problem is that as a technical person, there is a strong temptation to build the whole thing yourself. If you're not a hacker, you know its impossible to fake, and so from the beginning you are forced to find and depend on quality others. Though it offends my alpha-geek instincts to say it, "finding quality others you can depend on" is a more important startup skill than hacker chops. I've spoken with several other technical startup founders and we all say the same thing: if only we didn't know how to program, we would have been forced to let go earlier and let the business actually grow! As someone who is a technical founder, I can say that there are real advantages to *not* being a hacker. The problem is that as a technical person, there is a strong temptation to build the whole thing yourself. If you’re not a hacker, you know its impossible to fake, and so from the beginning you are forced to find and depend on quality others. Though it offends my alpha-geek instincts to say it, “finding quality others you can depend on” is a more important startup skill than hacker chops. I’ve spoken with several other technical startup founders and we all say the same thing: if only we didn’t know how to program, we would have been forced to let go earlier and let the business actually grow!

]]>