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.