December 10th, 2007Why must technical people understand business but not vice versa!?!
My kids are pretty crafty. They’ve instituted a policy to celebrate half birthdays at our house. Before you think they’re really crafty, the rule is only homemade gifts so it isn’t a present grab. It’s also only a half cake so it isn’t a (total) sugar rush grab either.
Tomorrow is my half birthday and I’m turning 38.5. One thing I’ve noticed this year is that I’ve suddenly become way more comfortable with my positions on various issues. Either I’m getting self-actualized, or apathetic towards other people’s impressions of me. Or perhaps just old and cranky.
So, in that spirit, I’m going to start commenting on things about startups and the software biz that have always confounded me. Don’t worry, I can’t possibly be as cranky as Joel. He’s older then me so I’ll need some time. So without further adieu…
Over the years, I’ve been involved in a number of tech companies. Consistently there has been an expectation that the ‘techies’ must understand ‘the business’. In fact, it is often used to dismiss the technical side of the house’s opinion on things - like go-to-market, feature set or RFP responses. Now I’ll admit to being more then a little egalitarian in my mindset, (see I’m comfortable with that) and it has always bothered me that the converse isn’t true. In fact, there have been times where I’ve seen what can only be described as “learned helplessness” by sales and marketing in order to get their way. Sadly, it has been positioned as “not pissing the deal away”. Hmmm, is it pissing the deal away if you can’t possibly deliver what is promised?!?
Now I’m not suggesting that the marketing folks need to know the ins-outs of threading best practices but they should at least understand the basics of software, development, and deployment models. It’s even more critical with CEOs. The captain of a ship NEEDS to understand the working components of their vessel. All of them. People’s lives are at stake (not to mention investor money). So why, oh why, do we see CEOs without a lick of technical skills at the helm? Take a look at the most successful software companies out there (e.g. Oracle, Microsoft, etc…). Almost all of them had a techie, someone who once wrote code, as CEO. Shouldn’t we learn something from this? I know I have.
December 11th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Well it depends on the techie. To run a successful decent size business I believe you need to be able to get people to work for you and you need to understand people. I do believe a techie is more likely to *learn* marketing than a marketer is tech. But it doesn’t really matter so long as they both know what they don’t know.
I have never heard a marketing person admit what they don’t know in their own field…
December 11th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I would also say that the CEO position is more then understanding people and getting people to work for you. There’s strategy, making tough calls, communication, inspiration and execution. Oh and you have to get a bunch of freakishly smart people to play nice, and work together. I’m not suggesting everyone should nor could be CEO. It’s a pretty rare talent set that would even make you a candidate in my books. I’m am attempting to say a couple of things:
1) Techies are an important voice in a software company, I’m arguing they’re just as important as sales and marketing
2) We shouldn’t automatically err on the side of calling up CEOs from the sales and marketing bench. It’s what’s done without question currently and I’m saying it is time to question that default.
On #2, I’ll continue with my boat analogy… I’m an avid sailor. I sail competitively. I trim a jib reasonably competently. I also am getting better at flying the chute. I’m developing a better sense for tactics, spotting wind, etc… but I don’t get to helm because I suck and am not qualified. Yet…