I think technical skills are highly over-rated, whether it is programming or mechanical design. The most important ingredient for a successful startup is an insight into a set of problems experienced by a large enough population of potential customers that are currently unsolved and that they are willing to pay money to relieve the pain, even if it means that they might risk their career buying from an unproven startup. If they have identify such an opportunity, you can find technical talents which are highly interchangeable.
This is exactly my point, that technical people are interchangeable. Your problem is not finding technical people but technical people whom you are comfortable with. In another words, the selection criteria here is not their technical ability (which there are plenty) but their compatibility with you. Again, none of these matters unless you have a good product idea.
I believe we all have technical talents. I might not know the latest web-based programming language but I bet my ability to solve partial differential equation with time-varying constraints is relevant when it comes to judging technical people. In startup situations, it all comes down to having a desire to win. If you have a strong enough desire, you will (eventually) win. So even if you have the best programming skills in the world, you might not do well in a startup if you don't want it bad enough.
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I think technical skills are highly over-rated, whether it is programming or mechanical design. The most important ingredient for a successful startup is an insight into a set of problems experienced by a large enough population of potential customers that are currently unsolved and that they are willing to pay money to relieve the pain, even if it means that they might risk their career buying from an unproven startup. If they have identify such an opportunity, you can find technical talents which are highly interchangeable.
"you can find technical talents which are highly interchangeable"
Citation needed.
I disagree. My toughest problem is finding people I am comfortable with in terms of their technical ability.
This is exactly my point, that technical people are interchangeable. Your problem is not finding technical people but technical people whom you are comfortable with. In another words, the selection criteria here is not their technical ability (which there are plenty) but their compatibility with you. Again, none of these matters unless you have a good product idea.
How do you even accurately identify technical talent if you don't have any?
I believe we all have technical talents. I might not know the latest web-based programming language but I bet my ability to solve partial differential equation with time-varying constraints is relevant when it comes to judging technical people. In startup situations, it all comes down to having a desire to win. If you have a strong enough desire, you will (eventually) win. So even if you have the best programming skills in the world, you might not do well in a startup if you don't want it bad enough.