[k__]

The problem I saw with startups that had technical problems were always related to founder having no insight to the technology that was used. I even saw very technical founders fail, who just happened to have skills in a different technology than their team.

Such people try to get away with this by micromanaging because they panic, but that's usually no solution.

That said, it can work if the non-technical founder is lucky and just happens to get a good team, but they have no way to evaluate the required skills themselves.