I may not gain your respect, but how can you speak for my coworkers and employee...

bad_user · on Oct 21, 2011

I'm not trying to diminish you or your argument, which was in fact quite a good read.

You said that it is very annoying having to sell ideas to both customers and your creators. Well, that's a given because creators are quite stubborn people. But creators listen to other capable creators, for which they have enough respect to just trust without much questioning.

You will always struggle to get creators to do what you want, unless you are a creator yourself that can get shit done. For software engineering, it does not matter that you're brilliant in so many other ways if you are not capable of doing the job yourself (and you mentioned that you can code a little, but I don't think that's enough).

Look for example at Linus Tolvards (since he was on the author's list). He said so himself that he doesn't do much coding these days and his main talent is to get other people to work for him. But he can start stuff like nobody else, his knowledge is unparalleled and when he talks people listen.

About Steve Jobs, it is relevant because he's kind of a role model. But Steve Jobs is also a product of the right circumstances. You cannot be like Steve Jobs without having Wozniak as your best friend (this works both ways, Wozniak also benefited greatly from his friendship with Steve Jobs).

bradleyland · on Oct 21, 2011

Thanks for expanding on your comments. I suspect you're right. I work with a lot of other people in the hustler camp, none of which can write any code at all, and I find it much, much easier to get things done (with my team). When you can sit down with a creator and talk their language -- and understand their challenges -- it's a lot easier to relate to them. As a hustler, you have to know when to advocate for your creator. Nothing brings a creator in to the fold better than having their back in a client/project group meeting.