What's the best job choice for a non-technical person at a startup?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9354127

by tropchan • 11 years ago

1 4 11 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Just wondering what your opinion of a great and rewarding role is at a startup. My ambition is to launch my own company when the time is right, but in the meantime I would like to continue learning and meeting like-minded people. I believe my strengths are in creative strategy, growth, and doing what it takes to help startups grow. I would like to hear your thoughts, especially if you have gone through the same challenges:)

apski• 11 years ago

The way the world is heading, my advice would be: get technical. Develop a working knowledge of how things work e.g. how web app works, how programming languages work, the internet etc. You don't have to go deep but it's very valuable to have that understanding.

As far as job choice goes, it sounds like you're more of a product developer/manager and or marketer. The thing about startups however, is that roles bleed into each other depending on your skill set. There's not much room for a specialised cog that isn't willing to go outside of their comfort zone when necessary.

Push your boundaries and you'll be happy with the result.

tropchan2• 11 years ago

I feel like my strengths might not be coding in itself, as I am more of a growth / biz dev personality. However, I do love putting ideas into motion and I am learning to launch my own web apps in my spare time (as simple as they may be!)

I feel like this combo is helping me grow as an entrepreneur. Appreciate your feedback :) -- always pushing the boundaries

dchahla• 11 years ago

There is a multitude of work done in start-ups that requires coding at all. Testing, customer support, book keeping, social media presence, and my personal favorite, cold calling are just a few. Think, Jobs. To be the best, you must be willing to wear a lot of different hats, and take initiative based on the situation. My advice is to get into a company you believe in and be willing to learn. You will naturally find where you bring the most value.

tropchan2• 11 years ago

Thanks for the feedback! Doing that now, just joined early-stage startup and learning how to build a growth engine... seems like a natural fit for me.

As they say hindsight is 20/20, I just thought it could be interesting to get people's perspective. Thanks for your advice!

What's the best job choice for a non-technical person at a startup?

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