[ssharp]

I don't know because every business is different. I'm sure if you're programming all day long you don't want to deal with lawyers, investors, vendors, etc as well. Also, you likely CAN'T deal with them as effectively as someone who might have experience in doing so and WANTS to do so.

Besides that, you don't need to be a programmer to help flesh out a design. You don't need to be a hacker to help grow, shape or evolve an idea. With an end-product in site, there is plenty of work to be done away from TextMate or BBEdit!

[webwright]

IMO, if you are talking with lawyers, investors or vendors for any significant period of time during the first 3 months of a startup, you're doing something very wrong. Though, as you say-- all businesses are different.

I do agree that design is important (I'm a designer myself-- tho if I couldn't code a bit, too, I wouldn't have enough work to do).