

Ask HN: How does a non-hacker get into a start-up? - wannabetechgeek

I'm not a hacker, I'm just someone who is really enthusiastic about technology! I used to be a program director in a nonprofit doing things like marketing, training, recruitment/selection, grantwriting, strategy. Where can I fit in a start-up environment, B2C or content - and how do I get gain some more "street cred" to prove my mettle? Thanks!
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SwellJoe
This has been done to death:

[http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+b...](http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+business+guy)

[http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+i...](http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+idea+guy)

[http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+n...](http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinator.com+non-
technical+founder)

And a dozen variations on the theme.

Edit: The link filter is stripping the quotes off of those terms. They need
quotes or they're a bit too off-target (SearchYC.com also seems to refuse to
recognize quotes for phrases, which is why I never link to it. Weird and
annoying.)

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axod
Learn to hack? At least a bit. That'll give you a bit of street cred.

In the early stages you need to be able to quickly 'muck in'. Learn some linux
sysadmin, apache setup, email setup, html/php/mysql etc It'll certainly come
in useful.

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wannabetechgeek
Yeah, I was thinking about doing this. Starting off with a community college
class or two this summer.

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netsp
If you want a DIY taste, try this: <http://appjet.com/learn-to-
program/lessons/intro>

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wannabetechgeek
Perfect, this is exactly what I need. Thanks so much for this resource!

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tracy
Technology startups require very specific knowledge about particular topics.
For example, general business marketing is very different from marketing on
the internet. You may think you know it, but if you've never done it, you
don't know it. So how about starting a website or something online, and trying
to gain the specific marketing (and content) knowledge to survive in the
internet world? This way, you actually will be able to contribute, you gain a
clearer picture of how boring the tasks can be, and you have something you can
point at to show that you were successful.

Enthusiasm is not helpful. There is little worse than someone who is
enthusiastic and thinks he has better ideas on how to design websites than
website designers, better ideas on marketing than people who have been doing
it for years, and knows exactly how to make money on the net, even though he
never made money of it.

There is a lot of domain specific business knowledge required by startups. But
learn it first before going out to apply in a start up. Actually doing stuff
is a lot more difficult than wanting to do it, and if you want to learn it on
the job, you'll be deadweight, and there is no guarantee you will ever enjoy
the nitty gritty of running a technological business.

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qaexl
Have you looked at Steve Blank's Customer Development stuff that has been
making the rounds here? Blank formalized a process for developing customers
that has the same impact that formalizing software development process has on
software development (reduces risk).

Using his process, the technical team will have their hands full and will need
someone out on the field talking to people right in the beginning. It
clarifies the role of early stage marketing/sales/etc. in relation to early
stage product development.

My partner and I have been working on both product and customer development
using Blank's process, and I can tell you it takes as much brain-effort on the
customer development side as it is on the technical side. Someone skilled with
customer development process will be as highly valued as the crack founding
technical team.

At the very least, you would be able to find out how to sell yourself better
for startups.

If you want to find out more, check out the blog posts here:
<http://steveblank.com/category/supermac/> ... and definitely get his book.

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anamax
What value do you add?

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bayareaguy
Not all hackers are programmers. If you really are really enthusiastic about
technology then you may already be a hacker. You just need to find your niche.
You're probably not going to be the next Linus Torvalds but with a whole lot
of effort you might just turn out to be the next Guy Kawasaki.

I think you should look for companies that are doing something you really
"get" and help them evangelize whatever it is they do.

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andrewljohnson
There is room for fund-raising and marketing at start-ups. If you think you
can help start-ups with your skill set, apply for appropriate jobs, and try
and network with the industry you want to work in.

Or you can start writing some code, and see what happens. Do you have a
website?

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zorander
If you don't think hacking is appropriate, then learn the business side. If
you can take a bunch of hackers with a good idea and figure out how to turn
that into a business and money then you shouldn't have much of a problem. Any
coding types worth working with will know that there are "business-y things"
that they're better off not doing and will eventually wish they had someone to
pick that stuff up.

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joeconyers
Sales, business development, and community management are all options.

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octane
Have cash or the ability to get it. That's what all those other activities you
mentioned really mean.

