

Ask HN: Non-programmer wants to build a startup. Learn to code? - roberta

how many of you learned to code to build a startup(or would like to)? Does it make sense at all?
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TheHydroImpulse
I don't think it does. Learning to code is this hyped up movement that simply
doesn't work. Learning some syntax in a language is not "coding" nor is it
"programming". There's much more than that.

It will also take a _long_ time to become proficient at it. If you want to
build one in a few years, and you have the drive and motivation, it could be
done, but there's no guarantees. It's traditionally best left to those who are
best at it.

That's what co-founders are for.

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mathgeek
It depends on what your other abilities are. If you have a solidly related
creative skill such as design work or CSS, learning to code can get you to the
point where you can contribute to a startup. If your skills lie in business or
similar backgrounds, you're not going to be much of a technical founder under
most circumstances.

Either way, if you're not already a code, you either need to put in a lot of
time learning to engineer software, or look for a co-founder. The latter is
usually best.

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hollycc
I don't know how to code but I did teach myself to build a wordpress website
to get an MVP up and get customers. It depends on how technical the product
is. If you are great at the business, customers and hustling, I would focus on
building a basic version using existing technology and then you can build a
technical team / find contractors.

