You Don’t Get to Punt

How ludicrous would it be if I started a restaurant but didn’t understand how to create recipes that people love or how to create an atmosphere where people liked to hang out? Or a clothing company and knew nothing about the various kinds of material that I could use to make my clothes, or how to get them assembled?

And yet, time after time, I hear founders say “Oh, I don’t understand all this technical stuff. That’s the developers job” or “That’s what I have a technical co-founder for.” Often it’s followed by a chuckle.

If you’re not willing to dig in and understand how the process of building a technology products works, you shouldn’t be in this business. 

You don’t get to punt.

Your Assignment

Spend the next week in the same room where your developers work. Listen in on every conversation, get in on the Slack chats. Ask questions when you don’t understand something. Push through the fear of feeling dumb or inferior. What you’ll find is that it’s just not that hard or mysterious. I promise.