I've managed to turn my company into a mostly email based business. I have had maybe 5 meetings all year this year in person, and a couple phone calls a week tops. I've been in business almost 10 years and the act of going to meetings and having phone conversations is still a major challenge for me.

Biggest problem: I don't have time to think before I blurt something out when on the phone or in person. With email, I can craft my words, then even WAIT before I say them, think some more if needed, and I control my conversation rather than vamp and hope for the best.

Yup, if you're a programmer (like most of us), transitioning into that role is very tough. You have to be very extroverted and it can be unsettling sometimes.

I'd love to see some interviews with successful programmers turned CEO's/managers (but in smaller companies, not Bill Gates) to see how they managed it.

Also, shouldn't you call people instead? Calls are generally more personal and harder to ignore than a random email from a stranger.