The Technical Literacy Gap
As a founder who codes, I've seen both sides: leading as a CEO and shipping as an engineer. The ability to think technically has been my biggest advantage.
You don't need to be a 10x engineer to benefit from coding. You need technical literacy—understanding how software works, what's possible, and what's hard.
Why It Matters
1. Better Product Decisions
When you understand the technology stack, you make better product decisions: - Prioritize features based on technical complexity - Avoid over-engineering simple problems - Recognize when to build vs. buy - Understand technical debt tradeoffs
2. Effective Communication
You can speak the language of your engineering team: - Articulate product requirements clearly - Understand technical constraints - Debug issues collaboratively - Participate in architecture discussions
3. Hiring & Evaluation
Assess engineering talent effectively: - Ask meaningful technical questions - Evaluate code quality and architecture - Understand skill levels and specializations - Build credibility with technical candidates
4. Investor Conversations
Explain your technology convincingly: - Articulate your technical moat - Discuss scalability and architecture - Address technical risks honestly - Build investor confidence
What To Learn
You don't need a CS degree. Focus on practical knowledge:
Foundational Concepts
- How the web works (HTTP, APIs, databases)
- Basic programming concepts (variables, functions, loops)
- Version control (Git)
- Cloud infrastructure basics (AWS, servers, databases)
Useful Skills
- Read and understand code (even if you can't write it)
- Use developer tools and inspect web pages
- Query databases for analytics
- Script simple automation tasks
Recommended Path
- Start with Python or JavaScript (most practical for startups)
- Build something small (automate a task, create a simple website)
- Learn by doing (tutorials are great, but building is better)
- Pair with your engineers (pair programming is the best teacher)
My Journey
I started coding at 19, building websites for local businesses. Fast forward 10+ years: - Full-stack JavaScript developer - AWS Solutions Architect certified - Built scalable platforms serving thousands - Led technical teams as CEO
Did I need to be an expert engineer to build GatherADU? No.
Did technical literacy make me a better founder? Absolutely.
The Bottom Line
You don't need to become a software engineer. But learning to code will: - Make you a better product thinker - Help you communicate effectively with engineers - Enable you to evaluate technical talent - Give you confidence in technical discussions
In today's world, every founder is a tech founder. The question is whether you'll be technically literate or technically dependent.
Choose wisely.