That model may work in the earliest days of a startup — but it usually breaks down as the company grows. Here’s why:
- Focus matters. Engineers need deep focus to build and scale. At the same time, finance/accounting and sales require their own level of expertise and dedicated attention. You can’t just “dabble” in those areas and expect excellence — especially when it comes to things like serious fundraising, investor relations, closing multi-million dollars contracts, financial compliance, etc.
- Scaling with only engineers creates organizational fragility. As headcount grows, managing a company full of only one type of thinker becomes a liability. It lacks diversity of thought, skills, and experience. Think of it like trying to build a tower using only one material — it may stand for a while, but it won’t last.
- Burnout and inefficiency. Expecting engineers to wear too many hats leads to mental overload and a lack of accountability. Critical tasks fall through the cracks, and product quality can suffer.
- We’ve made that mistake. Over a decade ago, we had a habit of sharing everything with everyone in the company. But too much information flow killed focus. We eventually realized it’s the founder’s job to shield the team and protect the company from unnecessary distractions — including over-informing investors or team members on things outside their scope.
- Top non-engineers can be game-changing. A brilliant finance or sales person can be just as valuable — sometimes more valuable — than an engineer. Especially in areas like revenue growth, closing deals, or keeping the company alive through smart financial planning.
- Note that excellent engineers don't want to do finance, sales, etc. and vice versa.
Bottom line: engineers are core for tech company, but they’re not everything. Great companies are built by teams.
Don’t try to reinvent the wheel — unless your company exists to build a better wheel.