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Comment by mcs | Hacker News Reader

I agree. A technical co-founder with no business sense would likely be inclined to disagree with business decisions made by the CEO, thus causing friction internally and hindering productivity.

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At the same time, a co-founder with a business sense and no sense will likely make bad business decisions that have technical impacts.

Do they understand the true cost of a highly available environment? Do they understand why feature development takes so long?

Even people with a limited technical background make those. In fact, they're probably worse, because they think they understand something but really don't.

Have two founders from different backgrounds, with a small understanding of the other is good. But the key is to understand their own knowledge boundaries and let the other take over where it matters. They need be able to play devils advocate to each other just enough to come up with the right solution.

I tend to think of "business sense" as basically being equivalent to "conventional wisdom," and then think of the long list of very successful businesses that have been started by people with no business sense. And the long list of "business" people who dismissed them.

I vote for "causing friction internally and hindering productivity."

Wouldn't you think, a business co-founder with a technical co-founder would mainly stick to their strengths?

In my own experience, if the trust is there that's exactly what happens. When there are disagreements, both parties can at least start with the assumption that the other person probably knows what they're talking about.

On an old project of mine, my friend said to me "I don't know why you think that'll work, and I don't agree at all... but somehow you seem to always be right about these things"

I guess it's pretty silly to start a big project with people you don't trust though.

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