Founders: Business guys vs Hackers or Entrepreneurs vs Managers?
http://www.paulgraham.com/bronze.html
As a 'bus boy' I find myself doing the following things - coming up with business ideas, identifying markets and opportunities, continually raising finance, recruiting and put the team together, problem solving, organising work loads, admin stuff, accounts, networking, bringing in clients, marketing - both push and pull advertising, organising and attending tradeshows, product and market research, website architecture (by looking at what others do and what is successful), having an objective and 'non tech' user opinion on the ease of use/functionality/UI of the website, testing from a non tech perspective (I'm not claiming I speak for the consumer I'm saying I'm sufficiently removed from the technicalities of the development process to have a different perspective of how simpler things should be made for us dumb-dumbs), presentations X inspiring and successfully eliciting money from angels/VC.
These are among the many 'hats' I wear and was wondering what PG's opinion is to value of a bus guy as a co-founder to the business. I completely agree with him that (Quoting PG) "Hackers can learn to make things customers want" . He then goes on to suggest business guys are worth nothing to an internet start-up "It seems to me the business guys who did the most for Google were the ones who obligingly flew Altavista into a hillside just as Google was getting started." In doing so he APPEARS to be making an equally unfair generalisation as the guy he quotes about the MIT spin-offs.
Programmers/hackers are what they are because they love to do what they do. If they didn't enjoy IT they would be opening sports stores and hotels. And they would, I'm not saying they are not entrepreneurial or business minded X too many examples prove they are. But I would suggest that bus people allow IT boys/gals to get on with doing what they do best, and enjoy most. Again, I am NOT saying hackers can't do business or see what the customer wants, and many may enjoy doing it, but PG himself refers to business tasks in his Viaweb/life experience, like fund raising, as being an enormous time consumer and pain in the ass. (Quoting PG) "some tasks (like raising money and getting incorporated) are an O(1) pain in the ass, whether you're big or small, and others (like selling and promotion) depend more on energy and imagination than any kind of special training."
In my opinion there is value in having a business guy who has utter enthusiasm in pursuing these tasks, and not just seeing them as a drag. PG is correct, business is not complex, the issue is whether it is enjoyed and carried out with he same enthusiasm and effort as the coding. Ultimately, I would argue there should be no distinction, there are only those who ad value and those who do not e.g. selling 6% to YC for the value they provide. (But I think PG agree with me on this point (Quoting PG) "That's the essence of a start-up: having brilliant people do work that's beneath them.")
PG and others are arguably business boys before they are hackers and time has proven this. YC, for example, say the 6% is for their assistance in direction, legalities, set-up, networking, recruiting, advising, advertising (through the reputation of being funded by the YC Brand) market/ideas suggestion/direction, offices, financing and helping to provide further finance. Damn..........that makes them sound like business guys, doesn't it?
GETTING TO THE POINT: Please don't get me wrong, I don't over rate my worth, the business doesn't exist without code but can exist without me, but to whom does society, business and history give the acclaim, the architect or the builder? And so it really comes down to entrepreneurialism, or ideas and vision. I believe PG also agrees with this point? (Quoting pg) "A hacker who has learned what to make, and not just how to make, is extraordinarily powerful."
PG's number one rule: release early!! Well having a business guy to enthusiastically pursue these tasks allows for focus and improved productivity in moving forward fast and efficiently. Those who have the ideas, determination and resourcefulness to carry them through are as needed in co-founding as those with the ability to fulfil that direction. Entrepreneurs have vision, ideas, they make things happen and create opportunities, they don't necessarily implement them; managers do.
I argue there is no distinction between business guys and hackers, because when well matched (my all important caveat to this entire thread), they compliment one another. Sooo in my opinion it's:
Entrepreneurs V Managers NOT Business guys V's Hackers