[pragmatic]

In ANY organization these skills matter: SQL - MOST Important - If you can fix a SQL problem (mysql, sqlserver, oracle) you ARE THE MAN. Administration - can you rotate the log files and fix the problems? Can you assign the correct permissions to a directory in centos, redhat and windows (03, 08) server - You are "teh" man. I can code in C++, Java, C# & Python but I get the most praise (and raise) from fixing common mis-configurations on our web servers and databases (things the "admins" don't know how to fix) and this is usually a combination of batch files, dos and or *nix shell scripting abilities.

Programming is such a small part of the job, understand the OS and the DB and you own the house!!!!

In the end, if you can simply read the hot fix readme files and apply them correctly, you are valuable. Hello 6 figure income!

The administrator/programmer is a God among boys.

[astrec]

Not exactly sure why you're being downmodded.

If I follow, you're just saying (if a little enthusiastically) that DB/server administrator skills for hackers matter in a startup.

You'd be right - at each startup I've ever been involved in I've done everything from written code, configured the server, fixed the server at 3am, answered the phones, licked stamps for invoices (ok, not in modern times) and fetched coffee.

Startups generally don't have enough scale to hire one trick ponys.

In a younger founder/early employee, I'm not looking so much at programming ability as entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to get stuff done. Even the coffee run.