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Don't Learn to Code

ryanhoover.me

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Re: Don't Learn to Code

#11

Post by mishachellam »

ilaksh wrote: post #8

I'm a programmer who is very interested to learn about how to gain traction. To be honest, I am skeptical about how complex that domain of skills and knowledge could really be. Note that I did not say hard, I said complex. My belief at the moment is that gaining traction is mainly a matter of creating or selecting/evolving the right idea and then largely comes down to social network effects. Basically, I look at star…

I think traction is about understanding underlying human psychology / user intent. At the end of it all, it is still humans who are using these products (for now at least :)

Someone who deeply understands customer interviews and needs-finding will do a better job of scoping the right product to build, and someone who understands what drives human behavior will do better at distributing the product.

Re: Don't Learn to Code

#12

Post by rrhoover »

mishachellam wrote: post #11
ilaksh wrote: post #8

I'm a programmer who is very interested to learn about how to gain traction. To be honest, I am skeptical about how complex that domain of skills and knowledge could really be. Note that I did not say hard, I said complex. My belief at the moment is that gaining traction is mainly a matter of creating or selecting/evolving the right idea and then largely comes down to social network effects. Basically, I look at star…

I think traction is about understanding underlying human psychology / user intent. At the end of it all, it is still humans who are using these products (for now at least :) Someone who deeply understands customer interviews and needs-finding will do a better job of scoping the right product to build, and someone who understands what drives human behavior will do better at distributing the product.

+1 for Misha's response.

Yes, luck and timing are a big part of startups but there are processes and ways of thinking that you can learn to increase chances of success.

Re: Don't Learn to Code

#13

Post by rklusas »

ilaksh wrote: post #8

I'm a programmer who is very interested to learn about how to gain traction. To be honest, I am skeptical about how complex that domain of skills and knowledge could really be. Note that I did not say hard, I said complex. My belief at the moment is that gaining traction is mainly a matter of creating or selecting/evolving the right idea and then largely comes down to social network effects. Basically, I look at star…

There is nothing wrong with that theory -- it's just the difference between asking IF a tactic worked vs WHY it worked.

If is easy to determine. Why is not.

Re: Don't Learn to Code

#14

Post by rklusas »

mos2 wrote: post #6

This is a great article and you can read countless examples the importance of sales and marketing for tech focused startups or small web based businesses. I agree 100% with most of what is being said. Also very cool to create a bootcamp focused on the other end of the business. The irony of the title, Don't Learn to Code is realized in CTA of tradecrafted.com. Under Business & Social, point 3 is "Basic Programming" M…

Exactly. Everybody should learn the fundamentals of code/programming, but that doesn't mean everybody should learn to check-in production level code -- that's not a code allocation of resources.

RE content, there is a TON of material out there, it's just poorly organized.

Re: Don't Learn to Code

#15

Post by ilaksh »

rrhoover wrote: post #12
mishachellam wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think traction is about understanding underlying human psychology / user intent. At the end of it all, it is still humans who are using these products (for now at least :) Someone who deeply understands customer interviews and needs-finding will do a better job of scoping the right product to build, and someone who understands what drives human behavior will do better at distributing the product.

+1 for Misha's response. Yes, luck and timing are a big part of startups but there are processes and ways of thinking that you can learn to increase chances of success.

What sort of process or way of thinking would that be? I mean without giving away the whole store, (since I think consulting on that is your business) maybe there is a comment you can make that would give me ideas for things to google.
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