On the positive: they're good at marketing, getting in people's faces, getting the word out, getting people on board, etc. I just can't talk to advertisers so I'd end up with AdWords getting less revenue. I'd be bad at promoting the thing so there'd be fewer users.
On the negative: most of them have no f'in clue what makes any sense in technology. They don't use it enough. Their ideas will be something like, "maybe we should do something like eBay, but with a better rating system". They'll come up with a lot of nonsense that isn't useful - but they don't know that since they just don't use computers and the internet as much as we do. Of course, they're a bit arrogant (it's why they're good in part one) so they think you should be following their lead.
You need to find someone that can do part 1 without being so full of themselves that they think they know how to build a webapp and that you're just code in human form. It's hard because most of those types like to think of themselves as the "idea person" rather than doing the work of promoting, forming partnerships, etc. Their "idea" is crap and been done before. You need someone to do the non-code heavy lifting.
I'm conducting a sort of experiment with my own life. I've seen a lot of threads here about "Hackers vs. Bus. Development/marketing" and so I've decided that the debate must be settled.
When I was 14, I learned all I needed to build a Battlebot. I wanted to enter the show. I designed and built a frame, and filled it with the electrical components to make it work. It was pretty fun actually. I've spent time passively researching programming but never found the time to take it up to a usable level. I only know a few things and can understand some programming jokes. I've built a couple of websites and I have a decent understanding of how that whole "internet contraption" works. Basically, I consider myself a form of hacker, at least, whatever form can exist that doesn't know how to program for beans.
After accepting all of this, and seeing what type of person it appears I am, I've decided to major in marketing (and possibly double in finance). I've done a few businesses of my own and have a decent understanding of the marketing and development involved in making it succeed.
In the end (about 2-3 years from now), I will be what I would consider a well rounded tech and business focused individual.
Because of my obvious inexperience in programming, I think any startup I create or join will use me in a business development fashion, rather than as a hacker (even if I were to obtain a working knowledge of a language).
My goal is to be that marketing guy who also understands and appreciates what goes into building the product, instead of being the one who is purely an "idea person" with little experience with computers and the internet.
I want to prove to myself and others that it's possible to have both the right and left side of the brain working for you to help create something great.
It would be interesting to get an older business co-founder who was once (or still is) a programmer and knows both how and how not to manage programmers. A Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt or Paul Graham type character, someone who doesn't get in the way but still knows what's going on.
On the positive: they're good at marketing, getting in people's faces, getting the word out, getting people on board, etc. I just can't talk to advertisers so I'd end up with AdWords getting less revenue. I'd be bad at promoting the thing so there'd be fewer users.
On the negative: most of them have no f'in clue what makes any sense in technology. They don't use it enough. Their ideas will be something like, "maybe we should do something like eBay, but with a better rating system". They'll come up with a lot of nonsense that isn't useful - but they don't know that since they just don't use computers and the internet as much as we do. Of course, they're a bit arrogant (it's why they're good in part one) so they think you should be following their lead.
You need to find someone that can do part 1 without being so full of themselves that they think they know how to build a webapp and that you're just code in human form. It's hard because most of those types like to think of themselves as the "idea person" rather than doing the work of promoting, forming partnerships, etc. Their "idea" is crap and been done before. You need someone to do the non-code heavy lifting.