Sounds as young as he looks.
My advice: Never pass up a good opportunity.
So you "just need a hacker", huh?
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Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#12It's hard to find a brilliant hacker. But it's equally hard to find a brilliant marketing guy, a brilliant sales guy or a brilliant CEO.
While I don't disagree with the point of the post I think that many hackers should step back and look at how many great marketing people, CEO's etc. they know. The actual programming part is only a small part of starting a company, but many hackers seem to think it is all they need because hacking something together happens to be the first step to creating a great company.
The key insight is that no great company was made by only one guy. It takes both great hackers, great marketing people, great CEO's and great sales people. Hell, maybe you even need a great janitor...
So start showing some respect for each other instead of haggling over who needs who.
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#13I can't help but wonder whether this was inspired by the Facebook dev forums.
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#14I liked this rant, immature as it might be.
Just about every month, some business student will come to me and say they've got some "amazing idea" and just need someone to do the work of implementing it.
Before I even hear their idea, I do a simple mental calculation.
First, I have to see their skills at least exceed mine in the same areas. For instance, I'm a competent but mediocre designer and marketer in addition to being a programmer. They better at least match that and have actually worked on (and finished!) some project that they started themselves.
The person needs to be as competent in their supposed field as I am in mine. The value that people who are good at selling and networking bring is incalculable, I'd kill for a co-founder that could bring that. But they have to be as crazy and devoted to it as I am towards my coding, or else it just can't work.
Maybe that's why I suck at finding people to work with. :(
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#15It's hard to find a brilliant hacker. But it's equally hard to find a brilliant marketing guy, a brilliant sales guy or a brilliant CEO. While I don't disagree with the point of the post I think that many hackers should step back and look at how many great marketing people, CEO's etc. they know. The actual programming part is only a small part of starting a company, but many hackers seem to think it is all they need…
traditionally the hackers have been the most undervalued in the whole equation.
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#16I liked this rant, immature as it might be. Just about every month, some business student will come to me and say they've got some "amazing idea" and just need someone to do the work of implementing it. Before I even hear their idea, I do a simple mental calculation. First, I have to see their skills at least exceed mine in the same areas. For instance, I'm a competent but mediocre designer and marketer in addition t…
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Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#17Lots of people are Jacks of All Trades, but masters of none. Take, for example, the Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen movie franchise. Everybody had skills and roles to play. It wasn't possible for one person to be in all places all the time, nor was it possible for a single person to perform each job.
This blogger...lots of attitude, but doesn't sound like a team player. Attitude will take you only so far.
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#18It's hard to find a brilliant hacker. But it's equally hard to find a brilliant marketing guy, a brilliant sales guy or a brilliant CEO. While I don't disagree with the point of the post I think that many hackers should step back and look at how many great marketing people, CEO's etc. they know. The actual programming part is only a small part of starting a company, but many hackers seem to think it is all they need…
Sure I need a brilliant CEO, brilliant marketing guy, etc, etc. But first I need a great product. I'm going to make that, not the other guys.
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#19Lots of people are Jacks of All Trades, but masters of none. Take, for example, the Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen movie franchise. Everybody had skills and roles to play. It wasn't possible for one person to be in all places all the time, nor was it possible for a single person to perform each job. This blogger...lots of attitude, but doesn't sound like a team player. Attitude will take you only so far.
I heard a Hollywood producer reference Ocean's Eleven in the same way. Moviemaking requires a ton of skills spread out over a large number of specialists. So what if the author has a business degree. Does he have mad business skills?
Re: So you "just need a hacker", huh?
#20It's hard to find a brilliant hacker. But it's equally hard to find a brilliant marketing guy, a brilliant sales guy or a brilliant CEO. While I don't disagree with the point of the post I think that many hackers should step back and look at how many great marketing people, CEO's etc. they know. The actual programming part is only a small part of starting a company, but many hackers seem to think it is all they need…
“Founders at Work” is an interesting book because you realize that there is no One Right Way to make a successful startup, not even the Paul Graham way! Some are started by hackers only, others include capable business people who were friends of the founding hackers. Some sold a product from the get go and others just went for eye-share. There are many additional degrees of freedom.
The needs of your startup will vary based on your business model. Smart, motivated people have a way of being useful, regardless of their education.